Serial killers: atrocious creatures or wounded people?

Origin and repetition of sexual violence by serial killers in light of trauma theory

Abstract

This study explores the relationship between childhood trauma and serial criminal behavior, grounded in Sándor Ferenczi's trauma theory. It investigates how childhood abuse influences violent tendencies and deviant sexual behaviors. Cases such as Luis Garavito, "La Bestia," and Marcelo Costa de Andrade, the "Vampiro de Niterói," are analyzed, focusing on their backgrounds of abuse and neglect, which may have shaped their criminal trajectories. The study interprets the sexual violence committed by these individuals as a compulsive repetition of unresolved traumas, where the victim becomes the perpetrator in a pathological attempt to regain control lost during childhood. Adopting a case study approach, the importance of understanding underlying psychic factors to prevent such crimes is emphasized. In Brazil, the scarcity of studies in this area underscores the urgency of public policies and support programs for victims of childhood abuse.