Sexual homicide: Definition,motivation and comparison with other forms of sexual offending

Sexual homicides attract a great deal of attention from the media and the scientific community. Yet, despite this interest, there is no universally accepted definition of the term. This paper explores this issue and looks closely at the motivation behind these offenses. In particular, it explores the role of pathology, anger, and sadistic sexual fantasy. It also explores whether sexual homicide is distinct from other forms of sexual violence, or whether it is better explained as an extreme variant of sexual assault.