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Female serial killing: review and case report
Andreas Frei1, Birgit Völlm, Marc Graf
1Forensic Psychiatric Services, Psychiatric Hospital Lucerne, Kantonsspital, 6000 Lucerne, Switzerland.
Criminal Behaviour and Mental Health : CBMH
|July 14, 2006
Summary
Female serial killers are rare, often motivated by material gain rather than sadism. Understanding their psychopathology requires detailed case analysis, as typical patterns are inconsistent.
Area of Science:
- Forensic Psychology
- Criminology
- Psychopathology
Background:
- Single homicides by women are infrequent.
- Serial killing is rare, with male perpetrators typically exhibiting sadistic tendencies.
- Female serial killing, though uncommon, has been documented.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review existing literature on female serial killers.
- To evaluate the utility of current literature in assessing clinical cases.
- To explore patterns and motives in female serial homicide.
Main Methods:
- Conducted a literature review using EMBASE, MEDLINE, and PsycINFO databases.
- Analyzed findings in the context of a specific clinical case.
- Examined attempts to categorize female serial killing.
Main Results:
- Few relevant publications were found.
- Material gain is the most common motive; hedonistic/sadistic motives are rare in female serial killers.
- Psychopathic traits and childhood abuse are common, but no consistent theory exists; the presented case deviated from typical profiles.
Conclusions:
- Detailed individual case formulation is crucial for understanding female serial killers.
- Encouraging publication of such cases is vital for advancing scientific understanding.
- The psychopathology of female serial killers necessitates individualized assessment.
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