The nature and effect of sexual sadistic actions on non-consenting female victims in South Africa

Abstract

Due to the inimitable and elusive nature of criminal sexual sadism, there is a paucity of research on the phenomenon compared to other sexual offences. The phenomenon has not yet received notable attention and is under-recognised worldwide. Sexual sadism therefore often remains a challenging phenomenon to investigate. No universal theoretical framework to explain the aetiology of sexual sadistic behaviour has yet been developed. The psychopathology of these offenders is thus widely unknown. Subsequently, there is a dearth of knowledge pertaining to the nature and effect of sexual sadistic actions on non-consenting female victims, particularly within a South African context. Accordingly, this study provides ground-breaking information regarding the nature of sexual sadism, the aetiology of sexual sadistic behaviour and the consequences of sexual sadistic actions on non-willing victims. The fact that the researcher was unable to identify any similar studies worldwide renders the research study of great importance.