Du Toit is highly educated and has worked closely with the FBI and consulted on grim cases for the state, such as the Griekwastad murders, the Modemolle incident, the current Bethal rape case and many others, working as a criminal profiler.
In the world of crime, forensic criminologists have various analysis and steps to follow before they come to a conclusion regarding a suspect and his state of mind.
Forensic criminology does not work in the same way as our favourite crime films and television series, but involves a much deeper investigation, to establish a criminal profile of a suspect.
In South Africa, polygraphs are not accepted in courts, but forensic criminologists do use them for their own needs, such as psychiatric profiling in cases where, for example, a paedophile has to be investigated.
“We look at criminals who were involved in similar cases before the current suspect’s case, and we look into where he gets his victims. We also look at the modus operandi, for example, of a rapist, which means that we look into how they went about getting to the point of raping the victim.
“We also need to look at characteristics of the suspect and what is in his mind,” says du Toit.
She explains that, in forensic criminology, they also use procedures such as victimology, which helps them to narrow down why a victim was selected.
They further use signature profiles that have been drawn up for behavioural analysis, which have been compiled by the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
These profiles help to determine a criminal’s signature profile, for example, a serial killer, and further define his psychological needs and specific fantasy.
“One thing is specific though: if a scene is staged, it means that the victim and the suspect know each other – it is always personal,” du Toit says.
“We further conduct psychiatric evaluations on suspects with real psychological problems, such as delusions and paranoia – these people are unable to stand trial. We have to look out for these things, and determine if they are lying.
“Another very-well known test used is the Rorschach Test, which is a set of abstract inkblots. These are shown to the suspect, who has to explain what he perceives to be in the picture.
“There is also the Finger Tapping Test, which includes a medical examination of alleged patterns, anatomical correctness, their ability to tell right from wrong, insanity evaluation, intent to do it, control behaviour and if they can anticipate the end result of their actions.”
Criminal Behavioural Science
In order to gain a thorough understanding of the dynamics of a complex violent crime, the activity in which the offender engages prior to, during, and after the crime, must be analysed and interpreted.
This activity is called “behaviour”, and the process of crime scene evaluation, analysis and interpretation is termed Criminal Behavioral Analysis.
A significant advantage of such an evaluation is that, in the hands of a skilled analyst, it can be done, whether or not the offender has been identified and/or apprehended.
When evaluating a complex crime, the following behavioural manifestations left at crime scenes are taken into account:
* Modus Operandi behaviour
* Ritual behaviour
* Crime scene signature
*Staging behaviour
*n Depersonalisation
* Undoing behaviour
In addition, analysing and interpreting a violent crime and its related scenes involves a crime scene reconstruction, in concert with a behavioural reconstruction. This information is then integrated with the forensic and physical evidence.
The following types of violent crimes lend themselves well to Criminal Behavioural Analysis:
* Serial murder
* Mass murder
*Sexual homicide
* Robbery homicide
* Multiple, double, and single homicides
* Aggravated assault
* Sexual assault
Courtesy of Criminal Behavioural Services International.
Victimology
Victimology, or the study of victims: an examination of every facet of their lifestyle, background, health, and physical characteristics. It is hoped that through an in-depth examination of the victims, we may know the perpetrator a little better.
Victimology is important in the overall investigative process because it not only tells us who the victims were, their health and personal history, social habits and personality, but also provides ideas as to why they were chosen as victims.
In many situations, the offender will hold back from choosing a victim until one that meets his needs comes along, possibly allowing him to fulfill some fantasy or desire he has.
Because of this, the way the victim is chosen is important and gives an insight into how the offender thinks, which subsequently affects how the perpetrator acts. If we are able to determine how the offender is acting now, we may be better able to determine his future behaviour, possibly leading to a successful arrest.
Courtesy of www.crimelibrary.com
The Rorschach Test
The test is a psychological test in which subjects’ perceptions of inkblots are recorded and then analysed using psychological interpretation, complex algorithms, or both. Some psychologists use this test to examine a person’s personality characteristics and emotional functioning. It has been employed to detect underlying thought disorder, especially in cases where patients are reluctant to describe their thinking processes openly.
The test is named after its creator, Swiss psychologist Hermann Rorschach.
A person is shown 10 inkblots and asked to tell what each resembles. Like swirling images in a crystal ball, the ambiguous blots tell a different story to every person who gazes upon them.
Rorschach devised the 10 standardized cards used today, as well as a scoring system. Rorschach considered his test to be a test of “perception and apperception”, rather than imagination. His original scoring system emphasises perceptual factors – for example, whether a response is influenced by form, perceived movement, or colour of the blot.
Courtesy of www.wikipedia.org – @BoksburgNews
