Serial Rapist - Research Paper Example

This paper is aimed at providing deep analysis about the behavioral patterns and the related factors of Serial Rapists. To serve this purpose a case is study is used in which a serial rapist is arrested by the police and later sentenced to prison for 20 to 40 years. The case study basically revolves around the composite sketches of criminals that how they are helpful in finding cues about the offender. In addition to this the rapist, Anthony’s behavior is analyzed through Modus Operandi and Signature or Motive Behavior. In the end two research articles from the renowned research journals are used for further discuss on the subject. Serial Rapist Case Study Some people commit the crime of rape for once or twice but some are the serial rapists who continues to do what they want in order to fulfill their wishful yet deadly desires. No law or court can stop their ultimate desires and its subsequent actions. Where ever they go they take their rapping attributes with them because they do not consider it a crime rather they call it their right. One similar case of a serial rapist illustrates that the criminal was arrested and then sentenced to prison in 1994 in Manhattan, New York. He was an old offender of raping and exploiting women. He once raped a business woman of 30+ years old in her own apartment. This guy managed to get in to the house when she was out and hide himself. When she returned back in the late afternoon she did not knew that some serious criminal is waiting for her in side. As soon as she opened the door she found him in front of her. She looked at his face and then she could never remove his image from her mind. That guy raped the girl. This was not his first act of rape rather he was a serial rapist who had been involved in other raping activities as well in Manhattan. However the girl was raped for the first time. This girl had a clear look on his face whereas in all his previous cases he was able to hide his identity so that nobody could report against him. NYPD’s Detective Bureau has a Special Victim’s Squad to deal with the cases related to rape and forceful sex in the New York. This Bureau has a very distinctive way of investigation. They initiate the search of the offender with his Composite Sketch. In this case also they were able to draw the sketch of the criminal with the help of the girl victim who could easily recall his features and then told to the sketch designer. The composite sketch session went pretty successful and the detective unit got the sketch of the serial rapist. The victim herself was satisfied with the drawn sketch and said that it closely resembles the original person. The detective then made several photocopies of the criminal’s sketch which were then sent to the printing press in order to make it a wanted poster. This poster was then distributed among all the departments and key positions. It was hanging under some police boundaries that Assistant District Attorney (ADA) was within the New York City for some other responsibilities and purposes. As she had a sight of the wanted poster she immediately recognized him as her step brother. She showed the highest level of courage and selflessness by telling the Detective Squad about her relationship with this serial rapist and fully cooperated with them in the investigations. Her recognition of the picture gave a very important clue to the Squad. The serial rapist was Anthony. This man lived in Florida where he was involved in rape cases. Few years ago he was arrested by the police because of the same crime. He was released just a few months before his recent case. The Special Victims Squad successfully arrested him from his Florida residence and he was then presented to the victim who also recognized him. During Anthony’s trial the judge identified that he used to have a great pleasure in raping women. He never considered it as a crime or an illegal activity. He was pretty much contented with what he was doing. Since he had committed the first degree rape therefore he was sentenced to 20 to 40 years in prison (Mancusi, Stephen. 2010). Analysis This case study greatly emphasizes upon the importance and value of composite art. Anthony was arrested because of the printed wanted poster having his picture which was made by a sketching artist with the help of the illustrations made by the victim herself about the criminal. Other than this the detective squad did not had anything to solve this case where the criminal was completely unknown and that he was always successful in protecting his identity while committing the offense. The sketch was not an exact copy of the offender’s face however it was much closer to his real features. The decision made by the Serious Victim’s Squad about using the composite art to solve this case was absolutely justifies and correct. This same technique can easily be applied to other cases as well though the mere description might vary from case to case but still the use a composite art can prove to be a useful tool in solving such detective cases. Modus operandi (M.O) refers to the methods of operation that are used by criminals. The behavior, attitude, decision making style and choices of a criminal all comes under the principles of M.O. It basically deals with the methods and procedures that are used by the offenders in order to commit offense. Criminals may show high level of patience during their act as we can observe in the case of Anthony that he used to stay back at the potential victim’s residence waiting for her return. He was never concerned about the time he would have to wait for his prey. He used to plan his operation with extreme thoroughness and thoughtfulness. He was very smart in terms of keeping his identity a secret and that is one of the reasons that he was not caught up in his last attacks on women (Brent E. Turvey, 2008). The Modus Operandi covers different aspects of criminal activity such as: The profession of the offender and the varying skills that he possesses. Complete information about the target. For instance in this case Anthony must have kept an absolute record of the girl’s contacts, working details and other related data. Information about the crime location is another important aspect that attracts the attention of an offender. Anthony used to get in to the targets house long before her arrival which shows that he wanted to explore the crime location before committing the actual act of rape. In addition to this there are several other elements also attached to Modus Operandi such as: How the criminal will protect his identity. What possible measures he can take in this regard and how far they will prove to be useful for him. To save his identity Anthony used the times of late afternoon so that nobody can recognize him in the dark night. Criminals verify the successful completion of the crime so that they do not return empty handed. For this purpose Anthony used to make the arrangements within the victim’s house soon before she returns this helped him in turning everything in to his favor so that he can do the act with complete certainty. Escape is yet another important element for the criminals because they surely do not want to be arrested. The silence and the darkness of the night facilitated Anthony to escape in all his serial rapes. Crime such as rape is solely done to satisfy ones psychological needs. Therefore the serial rapists show signature behavior by doing such things during the act of crime which is not necessary for the successful crime operation rather they more reflect the psychological attitude of an offender. These behaviors are not well-designed in nature. They are basically the representatives of the psychodynamic relationships within an individual which are more constant that the elements of the Modus Operandi (John O. Savino, Brent E. Turvey. 2011). The signature behavior projected by Anthony in the above example showed the following aspects: Taking some extra time to complete the crime was Anthony’s way. He used to do unnecessary and unwanted actions during the criminal act. Conveying the emotional and psychological needs to the victim is another significant act done by him. He used to see himself in the fantasy world while committing the crime. All these attributes present in Anthony clearly shows that he was more convinced to do the criminal activity because of his physical, psychological and emotional needs which signifies his signature behavior. The Judge who sentenced him to prison also showed inclination towards the idea that he did not considers rape, a crime rather he does so to fulfill his psychological needs. Literature Review In a research conducted by Ashley Hewitt, Eric Beauregard, Garth Davies, (2012) about the location selection especially in case of serial rapists. This is a significant element of a rapist’s profile that what is his choice regarding the site of crime. It really helps out the investigating officers and the detective teams to look for the serial rapist if they can figure out choice in terms of raping the victim. Since rape is a more a Psychological crime therefore it is far different from other criminal acts which are done due to financial or economical constraints. The serial rapist needs to have a place just according to his needs of the act and therefore we can identify that Anthony used to have the in house criminal act because that suited him the best. The research shows that the modus operandi, chronological factors and criminal hunting behavior plays a very important role in terms of serial rapists. As they are too much concerned about the timing, location, enter and exit options. In addition to this they also have to remove all their criminal marks so that they can never be identified in future. Hiding ones identity is one of the most important dimensions for serial rapists as we can see from the rapists’ records that they do not want the victim to recognize them and therefore they are easily encouraged to do the same act again and again. The modus operandi varies according to the use of different locations by the criminal such as the land, an inside area, his own residence or some other known place. The familiarity about the criminal site also impacts the criminal activity in very broad terms. Since the rapist needs to have complete knowledge about the criminal site so that he can ensure the exit and entrance options without being caught. These research results can prove to be very helpful for the police in order to locate the next target of the rapist by checking his modus operandi patters and signature behavior. A serial rapist commits the crime in the same pattern and operational plan which is a key for the investigators to finds his current where about (Ashley Hewitt, Eric Beauregard, Garth Davies, 2012). Criminology and Forensic Psychology closely deals with the criminal personalities and the behavioral patterns. Personality has a very deep impact on an individual’s life. The decision and actions are mostly directed by our personality traits which determines the hidden reasons and motives behind our current actions but they are also helpful in predicting the future actions and behaviors in some particular situation. The serial rapist’s personality is pretty much distinctive from others. They see the situations with entirely different perceptions. It has been find out through research and analysis that the rapists possess comparatively more aggressive personality. They are not easy going people rather they project tough and rude image of themselves which predicts their intentions and harshness present within them. They are found to be more passive rather than active. They avoid socialization to every extent may be because of protecting their identity. They enjoy more in isolation and that is the time when they select and plan their next target. Their anti-social attitude is also because of some family issues or the lack of attention in early childhood (David Joubert, 2012). Poor family setup and lack of social support is a basic reason for their aggressive and rude behavior which leads them towards activities such as rape. Once they fall in to the trap of their desires and psychological needs then no law can pull them back to the normal way of life and that is why their punishments ends up for 20 to 40 years. However the police and the judiciary should play their part in treating the serial rapists in terms of psychology as these people are not normal. They need help and support so that their extremely negative behavior can be neutralized if not completely changed in to a positive one. Discussion Anthony had clearly used the Modus Operandi in his raping acts. He tried hard to hide his identity in his last act or crime however the girl already had a very sharp look on his face which was enough for her to recall his features later in front of the sketching artist at the Serious Victim’s Squad. The investigative authorities had done a marvelous job by printing a wanted poster of Anthony and then pasted it in all the departments. While on the other hand the Assistant District Attorney was fair enough to disclose the residential address of her step brother after knowing about his secret criminal activities. This was a highly appreciated and favored attitude of ADA which enabled the police to solve this case. Anthony was motivated to do the criminal activities because of his unsatisfied psychological desires and motives which are directly related to his signature behavior. Research shows that the analysis of rapist’s location selection is one of the most important factors in terms of solving a complex case such as Anthony’s. The serial rapists perform this criminal activity in almost the same patterns which is helpful in differentiating them from other rapists. Similarly their personality traits have a great influence over them which can also be used as a reference tool in order to find them. References Ashley Hewitt, Eric Beauregard, Garth Davies, (2012) “Catch and release”: Predicting encounter and victim release location choice in serial rape events", Policing: An International Journal of Police Strategies & Management. Brent E. Turvey, (2008). Criminal Profiling: An Introduction to Behavioral Evidence Analysis: Modus Operandi. Academic Press, U.S.A. David Joubert, (2012) "Developmental correlates of offending patterns in serial rapists". Journal of Criminal Psychology. John O. Savino, Brent E. Turvey. (2011). Rape Investigation Handbook: Offender Signature. Academic Press, U.S.A. Mancusi, Stephen. (2010). The Police Composite Sketch: Basic Composite Sketch Case Study: A Serial Rapist. Springer, New York. Read More