The Nature and Effect of Sexual Sadistic Actions on Non-Consenting Female Victims in South Africa
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The nature and effect of sexual sadistic actions on non-consenting female victims in South Africa by Bianca Gahler A dissertation submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree Master of Arts in the Department of Social Work & Criminology at the UNIVERSITY OF PRETORIA FACULTY OF HUMANITIES SUPERVISOR: Professor Christiaan Bezuidenhout 2017 Declaration I, Bianca Gahler hereby declare that the dissertation submitted in fulfilment for the degree Master of Arts in Criminology at the University of Pretoria, is an original research dissertation that has not been plagiarised. The research is my own work and has not previously been submitted for a degree at other universities. Additionally, I declare that full acknowledgement of all sources used or quoted have been indicated by means of complete and proper references. I further understand that the data remains the intellectual property of the University of Pretoria and that I will not share the data with a third party without written consent from the University of Pretoria. ________________ ________________ Bianca Gahler Date i Acknowledgements I herewith wish to express my sincere appreciation and gratitude towards everyone who made this study possible. To my supervisor, Professor Christiaan Bezuidenhout: Thanks for your time, informative guidance, patience and words of encouragement throughout the completion of this study. Your passion for Criminology is largely responsible for igniting my interest and passion for the academic study of psychologically motivated crimes. I would like to acknowledge each subject matter expert for their willingness and alacrity to take part in the study. Without your contribution, the study would not have been possible. I appreciate that each of you shared your knowledge and insight regarding criminal sexual sadism with me. To my parents and brother, Hansel, Hester and Hansel Gahler, thank you for tirelessly supporting my academic pursuits. Without your support this journey would have been much more challenging. I am indebted to you for your selfless interest, endless motivation, serenity and love. Thank you to my partner, Francois Rothmann, who stood by me throughout my studies and who has taught me, amongst many lessons, that resilience is vital to success. You have greatly instilled in me to never underestimate the power of hard work. During uncertain times, you always have the ability to reassure me of my work. ii Kind reminder The topic discussed is of a sensitive nature and may be offensive to some individuals. The content in this dissertation is of a sexual nature, some of which is explicit. The dissertation is intended for adult readers only since it contains offensive language which may not be suitable for children. The dissertation is written in such a manner as to obtain the authenticity of criminal sexual sadism and express the severity of the phenomenon. iii Editors letter Barbara Shaw Editing/proofreading services 18 Balvicar Road, Blairgowrie, 2194 Tel: 011 888 4788 Cell: 072 1233 881 Email: [email protected] Full member of The Professional Editors’ Group To whom it may concern This letter serves to inform you that I have done language editing on the thesis titled The nature and effect of sexual sadistic actions on non-consenting female victims in South Africa by Bianca Gahler. Barbara Shaw 25th October, 2017 iv Abstract TITLE: The nature and effect of sexual sadistic actions on non-consenting female victims in South Africa BY: Bianca Gahler SUPERVISOR: Professor Christiaan Bezuidenhout DEPARTMENT: Social Work and Criminology DEGREE: Master of Arts 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. Key terms Sadism; criminal sexual sadism; sadomasochism; psychopathy; non-consenting victim; physical effects; psychological effects v Table of Contents Page Declaration .................................................................................................................. i Acknowledgements ................................................................................................... ii Kind reminder ........................................................................................................... iii Editors letter ............................................................................................................. iv Abstract ...................................................................................................................... v List of Diagrams ........................................................................................................ x List of Figures ............................................................................................................ x 1. Introduction and purpose of the study ........................................ 1 1.1. Introduction .............................................................................................................. 1 1.2. Origin of the study .................................................................................................... 2 1.3. Rationale for the study ............................................................................................. 2 1.4. Aim and objectives ................................................................................................... 5 1.5. Value of the research ............................................................................................... 5 1.6. Research methods ................................................................................................... 6 1.7. Conceptualisation ..................................................................................................... 7 1.7.1 Sadism ............................................................................................................ 8 1.7.2 Non-consenting criminal sexual sadism .......................................................... 8 1.7.3. Sexual sadistic actions .................................................................................... 9 1.7.4. Voluntary sadomasochism .............................................................................. 9 1.8. Structure and layout of the report ........................................................................... 10 1.9. Summary................................................................................................................ 11 2. Literature review of criminal sexual sadism .............................. 12 2.1. Introduction ............................................................................................................ 12 2.2. Nature of sexual crimes .......................................................................................... 12 2.2.1. Nature of rape ............................................................................................... 13 2.2.2. Nature of sexual sadism ................................................................................ 17 2.3. Comparable characteristics of sexual sadism and psychopathy ............................. 22 2.4. Case studies of criminal sexual sadism .................................................................. 23 2.4.1. International case studies.............................................................................. 23 2.4.1.1. Dennis Rader ......................................................................................... 24 vi 2.4.1.2. Maury Troy Travis ................................................................................... 25 2.4.2. National case studies of sexual sadism ......................................................... 27 2.4.2.1. Frans du Toit and Theuns Kruger ........................................................... 27 2.4.2.2. Johan Kotze ........................................................................................... 28 2.4.2.3. Dirk Prinsloo ........................................................................................... 29 2.5. The effects of sexual sadistic actions ..................................................................... 31 2.5.1. Physical effects ............................................................................................. 31 2.5.2. Psychological effects ..................................................................................... 34 2.6. Summary................................................................................................................ 37 3. Theoretical underpinning focusing on criminal sexual sadism 38 3.1. Introduction ...........................................................................................................