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Multiple perpetrator sexual assault: how does it differ from assault by a single perpetrator?

Louise Morgan1, Bernadette Brittain, Jan Welch

  • 1King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK. louise.1.morgan@kcl.ac.uk

Journal of Interpersonal Violence
|July 25, 2012
PubMed

Insights

Multiple perpetrator sexual assaults (MPSA) disproportionately affect younger, non-White victims and involve stranger perpetrators. MPSA cases often feature completed and multiple rapes, with distinct victim and perpetrator characteristics compared to single perpetrator sexual assaults (SPSA).

Area of Science:

  • Criminology
  • Forensic Psychology
  • Victimology

Background:

  • Limited research exists on the distinct characteristics of multiple perpetrator sexual assault (MPSA).
  • Understanding MPSA is crucial for victim support and perpetrator profiling.
  • Previous studies have not comprehensively compared MPSA with single perpetrator sexual assault (SPSA).

Purpose of the Study:

  • To identify unique demographic and assault-related features of MPSA.
  • To compare MPSA cases with SPSA cases.
  • To differentiate characteristics of MPSA victims, perpetrators, and assault types.

Main Methods:

  • Comparative analysis of 135 MPSA cases and 139 SPSA cases.
  • Data collected from the Haven sexual assault referral centre over a 4-year period.
  • Examination of victim demographics, perpetrator details, and assault specifics.

Main Results:

  • MPSA victims were younger, less likely to be White, reported more self-harm, and sustained more injuries than SPSA victims.
  • MPSA perpetrators were younger, less likely to be White, and more often strangers to the victim compared to SPSA perpetrators.
  • MPSA involved more completed and multiple rapes, with perpetrators meeting victims outside before assaulting them in non-victim residences.

Conclusions:

  • MPSA exhibits distinct victim, perpetrator, and assault pattern characteristics compared to SPSA.
  • Findings contribute to the limited but growing evidence base on MPSA.
  • This research aids in understanding the nuances of sexual assault involving multiple offenders.

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