Serial killer is an English expression that means "serial killer", in the translation into Portuguese.
The main feature of a serial killer it is the sequence of murders he commits, usually following a certain established script, as well as a “signature” that characterizes his crime.
According to psychology, the serial killers have psychopathological profiles, that is, they are clinically perverse individuals with severe mental disorders.
This profile makes the serial killers agents aware of their actions. However, the desire to satisfy their morbid desires is greater than the feelings of compassion and pity for the victim.
Supposedly, the term serial killer it appeared in 1840 in reference to the story of a French soldier who, during the day, lived in society and worked normally, but at night invaded cemeteries to rape the dead.
Recognition of a serial killer
For a criminal to be classified as serial killer, this must meet some requirements, such as:
- murder of two or more victims in isolated situations,
- present psychological reasons for their crimes,
- modus operandi (way of acting) present in the crime,
- presence of a "signature" left by the killer,
- in many cases, involvement in sadistic or sexual actions.
Usually, the serial killers they have an apparently normal behavior, that is, they work, perform routines in society and live with other social groups.
For this reason, these criminals are considered sociopaths, as they live in society in a normal way, but manage to suddenly kill other people without remorse. Some psychiatrists believe that serial killers may have two personalities.
Triad Mac Donald
the triad Mac Donald is the name given to a set of characteristics that are pointed out in the behavior of children that may have a potential as serial killer.
The studies are not yet conclusive, but they point out that many serial killers manifested the following behaviors during childhood:
- obsession with events involving fires,
- habit of cruelty to animals,
- common occurrence of bedwetting at night
Serial killers famous
Some of the criminals, after having their acts discovered, turned into serial killers famous in the world, as is the case of Charles Manson, leader of a sect that killed several people in the late 1960s.
Jack the Ripper also became a serial killer known for attacking prostitutes in London circa 1890. The mark of his attacks was a cut in the victims' throats.
In Brazil, the "Bandido da Luz Vermelha", who committed several crimes in São Paulo in the 1960s, is one of the most famous cases of serial killer in the country.
Another well-known case is the "Park Maniac", who raped and killed six women in São Paulo in 1998. Also during the 1990s the "Bike Maniac" was convicted of the rape and death of fewer than ten children.
See also the meaning of Psycho.