Female Sexual Homicide Offenders: A Descriptive and Comparative Study. Issue 1 (23rd April 2018)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Skott, Sara; Beauregard, Eric; Darjee, Rajan
• Is Part Of: Journal of forensic sciences. Volume 64:Issue 1(2019)
• Page Start: 154
• Page End: 162
• Publication Date: 2018-04-23
• Subjects: forensic science -- criminology -- sexual homicide -- female offending -- homicide -- sexual offending; Medical jurisprudence -- Periodicals; Forensic sciences -- Periodicals; Forensic Medicine -- Periodicals; Gerechtelijke geneeskunde; Gerechtelijke chemie; Gerechtelijke psychiatrie; 363.2505
• DOI: 10.1111/1556-4029.13807
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0022-1198

Abstract

Abstract: Research on female sexual homicide has been very scarce. In Europe, it has rarely been examined, and in Scotland, it has never previously been studied. This exploratory study aims to examine the characteristics of sexual homicides involving female offenders between 1990 and 2015 in Scotland. Using data from the Scottish Homicide Database between 1990 and 2015, female sexual homicides ( n = 7) were compared to nonsexual homicides committed by females ( n = 106) and to sexual homicides committed by men ( n = 89) using Fisher's exact tests. The findings show that although female sexual homicide offenders are similar to both female nonsexual homicide offenders and male sexual homicide offenders in certain aspects, there are important differences that distinguish sexual homicides involving female offenders from both groups. Female sexual homicide offenders can arguably be seen as a distinct group of offenders, with specific characteristics and specific needs.