Abstract:
One of the most potent criminal influences which have spread through modern society
is that of serial crime, particularly serial rape of females. In the South African context
no research has been conducted on the phenomenon of serial rape and international
research has limited application in the local context. This article will focus on the
initial findings of an ongoing research project on serial rape in the South African
context. The study used police records to determine the offender characteristics of
nine male South African serial rapists who offended against 75 female adults and
children in an attempt to lay the foundation for a scientific offender profile of these
offenders, and to compare those characteristics to U.S. serial rape offenders.
