Offender Profiling

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Offender Profiling

Offender profiling is a set of techniques used by law enforcement

agencies to try to identify perpetrators of serious crime. Profiling

techniques have been used increasingly by police forces in many parts

of the world, while fictional representations in films and television

series like Silence of the Lambs and Cracker have generated a huge

fascination with the topic.

A)

In 1994, as a result of the work by David Canter, the potential of

offender profiling was discovered. His involvement in the John Duffy

case proved vital in convicting the railway rapist who was originally

in a list of about 2000 suspects for two murders and five rapes.

Canter believed that the offender was a man who had or had previously

been in a long-term relationship with a woman, most likely with a

violent history within this relationship. He was right because Duffy

had first come to police attention after raping his ex-wife at

knifepoint. His need for sexual dominance was clear at this early

stage. His ex-wife recalled incidents throughout their marriage where

he had bound her and forced her to have sex with him against her will.

Canter also suggested that the offender would be living in the

Kilburn area of London where the most of the crimes were committed, in

places the attacker was familiar with.

12 of Canter’s assumptions were spot-on, Surveillance was carried out

and Duffy’s activities convinced detectives that he was their man. He

was later arrested.

Following a series of interviews with Duffy and further forensic

investigation, his childhood friend David Mulcahy was also arrested.

He was found guilty and sentenced to 3 life sentences for murder and

also received 24-year jail terms on each of the 7 rapes and 18 years

each for 5 conspiracies to rape.

B)

The outcome of this case really did help the reputation of offender

profiling which was thought to be very unreliable up until David

Canter proved how useful it could be in solving a crime.

There were some aspects of his method though which were unconvincing,

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