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Sexual homicides (SHs) demand nuanced research for effective prevention, treatment, risk assessment and theoretical insights. Intimate‐partner sexual homicides (IPSHs), comprising approximately 20% of SHs, have received limited attention. This study compares IPSHs (n = 56) and non‐intimate partner sexual homicides (NIPSHs) (n = 236) in Australia and New Zealand by investigating offender, victim, and crime‐scene characteristics. While IPSH perpetrators were typically older, separated, and had prior domestic violence convictions, victims were more often non‐white with histories of domestic violence and substance use. Although crime‐scene locations and post‐offence behaviours differed, similar crime scene behaviours were displayed across offender groups, which seemed to be routed in different underlying motives. Whereas drivers of IPSH commonly were grievance and anger, associated with offences occurring after arguments, drivers for NIPSH were more often sexual deviance and sadism. Overall, IPSH encompasses aspects of domestic violence, homicide, and sexual violence, distinguishing it from SH. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) has focused on victims, with minimal attention given to perpetrators of violent crimes who might subsequently develop offense-specific PTSD from their own offenses. Its prevalence and associations are not well-established. In accordance with PRISMA guidelines, 10 databases were searched to identify studies examining offense-specific PTSD in perpetrators of violent crimes. Fourteen unique studies were identified across prison, forensic hospital, and community settings. Sample sizes ranged from 19 to 339, with 8 studies assessed to be of at least adequate quality. Prevalence rates of offense-specific PTSD ranged from 1.5% to 76.6%, with 8 studies identifying a prevalence of 33.3% or greater. Associations with offense-specific PTSD were examined by 8 studies, with PTSD from prior trauma and post-offense guilt and shame the most-studied. Post-offense guilt and shame was consistently associated with offense-specific PTSD. Other associates included alexithymia, co-morbid anxiety and depression, certain personality subtypes, and intentional perpetration. Offense-specific PTSD is present in a significant proportion of perpetrators of violent crimes. More research of higher quality is required on this condition and its associations. Increased recognition of offense-specific PTSD and viewing perpetrators of violent crimes as potentially-affected persons could guide clinicians in forensic settings toward a more trauma-informed approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Foreign object insertion (FOI) is considered as an unusual behavior and has been defined as the involuntary insertion of any object, by another individual, into any orifice of the victim. Although there is some research on the prevalence and nature of FOI in sexual homicides, there is very little on the characteristics of cases where FOI occurs, and no previous research has compared cases with and without FOI. Given the lack of research on FOI in general and the dissemination of untested ideas regarding the correlates of this behavior specifically, the current study aims to shine new light on sexual homicide cases involving FOI by examining the offender, victim, and crime characteristics associated with FOI. Using a sample of 662 cases of sexual homicide, chi-square and logistic regression analyses were used to compare cases with and without FOI. Results showed that offenders who experienced sexual dysfunction and victims who used alcohol/drugs prior to the crime were more likely to be involved in cases with FOI. Cases where victims were beaten, vaginal/anal fisting acts were perpetrated, and mutilation of genitals were observed, were more likely to show evidence of FOI. Finally, postmortem sexual activities and the use of strategies by offenders to avoid police detection were also more likely to occur in sexual homicide cases characterized by FOI. These findings are discussed in light of the literature on sexual homicide, the vulnerability of victims, and the manifestation of sadism. Practical implications are also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While a number of previous studies have compared sexual homicides to nonlethal sexual offenses, there have been few studies comparing sexual and nonsexual homicides. This study examines whether sexual homicide offenders differ from nonsexual homicide offenders in Scotland regarding characteristics of the offender, the victim, and the homicide incident. Unlike previous studies, only homicides committed by males against females were examined. Data from a national police database were used to compare 89 male sexual homicide offenders who killed adult females with 306 male nonsexual homicide offenders who had also killed adult females using bivariate and multivariate (logistic regression) analyses. The findings revealed not only some similarities between the two groups, particularly regarding some victim variables, but also significant bivariate and multivariate differences. Sexual homicides appeared to be associated with indicators of instrumentality and sexual deviance. We conclude that sexual homicide offenders might be considered a distinct group of homicide offenders, more similar to sexual offenders than to other homicide offenders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]