Dr. Deborah Schurman-Kauflin, Violent Crimes Institute

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Articles
Ted Bundy Lives: Islamic Terrorists Mimic Notorious Serial Killer

Islamic Terrorists Posing as Christians: Abusing the Faith and Churches

Recruiting in the West: The Lure of Radical Islamic Terror

Sadistic Murders on the Rise: Worldwide Terror

Female Terrorists: Behavioral & Psychological Patterns

Invisible Prey: Profiling African American Serial Murder Victims

School Shooters Are Putting a Bull's Eye on Children

Profiling Sex Trafficking: Illegal Immigrants At Risk

The Dark Side of Illegal Immigration: Nearly One Million Sex Crimes Committed by Illegal Immigrants in the United States

Female Mass Murderers: Jennifer San Marco Joins an Exclusive Club After Killing 7

Female Serial Killer : Is The 'Lady of Silence', Junana Barraza, A Human Monster?

Importing Violence : The Danger of Immigration from Violent Cultures

Ticket To Terrorism : Why the United States is Hated Around the World

BTK Serial Killer Profiles

The Fantasy Life Of The Female Multiple Murderer

7 Easy Steps For Working a Female Serial Murder Investigation

Ted Bundy Lives: Islamic Terrorists Mimic Notorious Serial Killer
Copyright © Sept 2007 Deborah Schurman-Kauflin, Ph.D. Violent Crimes Institute

From the Dr. DSK’s forthcoming book Disturbed: Terrorist Behavioral Profiles

Terrorists inflict fear. They are cunning and constantly changing to outwit their enemies. In their ever growing arsenal of minimizing identification, terrorists have taken a page from brutal serial killer Ted Bundy. The notorious Theodore Robert Bundy was a promising law student who had good looks and charm. Yet, Bundy had a darkness within himself which propelled him to kill young women. Ted was a smart man who liked challenges, and so it was fitting that he chose a most difficult prey to hunt. Instead of killing prostitutes or runaways, Bundy set his sights on pretty, middle class college girls. This was more enthralling for the sadistic murderer. He knew that in order to catch his intended prey, he had to come up with a rouse which would make the girls let down their guards. Thus, he pretended to be injured when he approached them. He wore a cast. He made a big production out of being hurt so his victims would feel sorry for him. In this way, he could get close to the girls while raising less suspicion. Ted was very successful, and the girls paid a horrible price for being compassionate.

Terrorists have taken notice of the sympathy card, and they have smartly decided to play it. They believe in the mantra that people are fundamentally unaware of danger and likely to overlook security risks when dealing with the weak. And this strategy has worked for them. From using the disabled as martyrs, to disguising themselves as medical patients, to crossing into the U.S. illegally with fake Hispanic identities, terrorists study other successful predators and model their behaviors accordingly. Further, they study mass populace reactions and learn which buttons to push to garner pity.

In Iraq, terrorists have used handicapped children as suicide bombers. In fact, a child with Down’s syndrome was used to blow up a polling site in Baghdad. A bomb was placed around the child’s body, and he was marched to the polling location. His handlers then goaded him to walk to the target. But the terrified child paused. He became confused, and as a result, he turned and began walking to the terrorists who had sent him. The infuriated psychopaths immediately detonated the boy, furious that he had failed. At another time, terrorists used another Down’s syndrome child to throw grenades with the hope that U.S. soldiers would kill the boy. They believed that the disabled children would be able to get closer to their targets because people would be naturally less suspicious and even sympathetic to the injured.

In several instances, terrorists even have targeted children. Twenty seven youngsters were killed in Iraq when al Qaeda used a suicide bomber to attack an area where U.S. soldiers were giving candy to Iraqi children. In another incident, a car bomb killed 30 at a hospital where U.S. soldiers were handing out toys and food for Iraqi children (Roggio, 2005). In Lebanon, Hezbollah put a rocket launcher on the roof of a building in which they had placed disabled children. The goal was to incite Israel to strike thus killing the handicapped (Israel Insider, 2006). And in yet another ploy, terrorists have been known to steal the toys from children so that they can booby trap cars with them. The hope is that gullible U.S. soldiers will see the toys and approach, looking to help children.

Along the same lines, terror groups have tried to use the guise of injury to pass security. Being in a wheelchair, wearing a cast, posing as gravely ill to ‘get treatment’ in the States, and claiming asylum are all techniques employed by various groups. Mohammed Hammoud was one of nineteen people indicted for global racketeering with money going to Hezbollah. Hammoud had slipped into the United States the way many would be terrorists had: he claimed asylum. Terror groups have used young people coming through the Caribbean with bogus passports and documents. Knowing they will be discovered, the youth are coached to act scared and claim that they are being persecuted (U.S. DOJ, 2006; Diaz & Newman, 2005). Being young and scared are tactics meant to throw security off.

There have even been cases of Middle Eastern individuals posing as Mexicans to cross the Southern U.S. border, knowing that the U.S. government is sympathetic toward illegal immigrants. This play on heart strings works to the advantage of terrorists who want to enter the U.S. illegally. Because many believe that illegal immigrants are merely people violating unjust laws for their life betterment, many look past the crime of being in the country illegally. This opens the door to not only those who are sex predators and killers, but obviously, it allows entry to would be terrorists as well. And once here, it can be relatively easy for an illegal immigrant to find work, even in allegedly secure areas of the U.S. government. For example, illegal immigrants have been discovered repairing U.S. Navy planes, preparing MRE for U.S. military, working as baggage handlers at LAX, working at a chemical weapons testing facility for DOD, working construction at several sensitive government locales including Buckley AFB, Cape Canaveral, Creech AFB, DOD Iowa Army ammunition plant, Ft. Bragg, Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base-New Orleans, White Sands Missile range, and Y-12 National Security Complex (nuclear). Clever terror strategists such as Mugniyah surely have taken notice.

Islamic terrorists have been using many disguises to hide themselves.They hide in South America and work to convert indigenous people to Islam. They do so by using mirroring. Mirroring is the process of building rapport. To mirror, one mimics another’s movements and speech. Islamists have been basically saying that “you are just like us. You have been oppressed. We are your brothers, so you should convert to Islam.” They have been selling the notion that groups should throw off what they deem as imposed Caucasian Christianity. Some people in South America have accepted this and now work with al Qaeda and Hezbollah. These groups then look for aid which they can funnel to the terror groups.

And remember the influx of Chechens in the late 1990’s? Because of the U.S. stance on Russia’s involvement with Chechnya, many refugees, often militant Islamists, flocked to the U.S. In fact, some with ties to al Qaeda moved to the United States. Chechens are light skinned, and many have blue eyes. Smartly, terrorists considered a knee-jerk reaction after 9/11 would include focusing on Middle Eastern men, so having the Chechen ties became strategic. Terrorists can be of any age and look like anyone. They are constantly in motion trying to further their causes, and as such, they will recruit people who do not fit any particular appearance profile.

Additionally, there is a concern with programs designed to assist with nuclear security. We have had projects to support nuclear nonproliferation in which visitors from foreign countries tour our nuclear facilities. Even people from states that sponsor terrorists are welcome. They learn everything from how the facilities work to how security is run, in specific detail. The argument is that by sharing our information, we can help these countries protect their nuclear material from falling into the hands of terrorists. One can see how a radical could easily infiltrate under the guise of trying to learn our security to protect foreign nuclear material. Similarly, terrorists can gain access to sensitive U.S. interests by getting jobs in companies overseas which support U.S. finance, hospitals, and transportation. Many technology centers have been moved to places such as India. Recently, Muslims have admitted using Hindu names and identities to escape what they perceive as discrimination against Muslims. Of course there is a risk of a radical Islamist infiltrating a company as a ‘Hindu Indian’ to cause havoc on business sectors and even public health.

Islamic terrorists believe that they will be successful. Therefore, they will try anything. They will use the path of least resistance, and certainly if they can use the cover of being injured or appearing sympathetic, then they, like the infamous Ted Bundy can get close to their targets. There are innumerable vulnerabilities in the U.S. As a criminal profiler who has consulted with police and members of U.S. Military Intelligence, I see many similarities between serial murder and terrorism. Serial killers become whatever they need to be in order to get close to their victims. They have had jobs as doctors, police officers, military officers, pharmacists, and teachers. One can be sure, that if the lone serial killer is smart enough to get into these positions, a well financed terror organization can do the same. Remember, people are not always what they appear to be.

Selected Bibliography

---“Illegal Aliens Working at Critical Facilities.” FoxNews, April 13, 2005.

---“Illegal Aliens Working on Jetliners.” FoxNews.com, April 16, 2005.

----“Almost 40 Illegal Immigrants Rounded Up at U.S. Military Bases.” Atlanta Journal Constitution, January 19, 2007.

--- “ICE Arrests Illegal Aliens Working at Army Special Ops School.” ICE, V2(21), August 2, 2007.

----“Insurgents Used Handicapped Child as Suicide Bomber” NBC5.com January 31, 2005

http://www.nbc5.com/news/4146163/detail.html??z=dp&dpswid=1167317&dppid=65192

----“Lebanese report: Hezbollah planted disabled children in basement to die.” Israel Insider (August 1, 2006). http://web.israelinsider.com

Diaz, Tom and Newman, Barbara (2005). Lightning Out of Lebanon: Hezbollah Terrorists on American Soil. Random House Publishing Group: New York.

Finley, Bruce. “Suspected illegal workers arrested at military housing site.” Denver Post, September 20, 2006.

Giduck, John. (2005). Terror at Beslan. Archangel Group, Canada.

McManus, Michael. “Illegal immigrants worked at nuclear weapons facility.” CNN Washington Bureau, June 21, 2005.

Mooney, Kevin. “Agents Scour Nation’s Critical Facilities for Illegal Aliens.” CNSNews.com, July 5, 2007.

Patterson, Steve. “Workers with phony papers have been arrested for years at high-security sites.” The Florida Times-Union, April 3, 2006.

Roggio, Bill. “Terrorists’ Toys for Tots.” November 25, 2005.The Fourth Rail: History, Politics, & the War on Terror. http://billroggio.com/archives/2005/11/terrorists_toys_for.php

United States Department of Justice (2006). “Nineteen Charged with Racketeering to Support Terrorist Organization.” Federal Bureau of Investigation. Washington, D.C. http://detroit.fbi.gov/dojpressrel/pressrel06/de032906a.htm

Islamic Terrorists Posing as Christians: Abusing the Faith and Churches
Copyright © Sept 2007 Deborah Schurman-Kauflin, Ph.D. Violent Crimes Institute

From the Dr. DSK’s forthcoming book Disturbed: Terrorist Behavioral Profiles

Radical Islamic terror groups are clever. They learn about their enemies and work hard to infiltrate the governments, law enforcement, military, education, and other organizations within the enemy territory. Their goal is the destruction of infidels, and as such, they will do anything necessary to facilitate their ultimate success.

One of the more disturbing tactics of these offenders is the use of and assaults on non-Muslims. In fact, attacks against churches and clergy are rather common now. In Pakistan, Father George Ibrahim was murdered by Muslim gunmen after they broke into his home in Ranala Kot (July 2003). In Iraq, Assyrian nun Sister Cecilia Moshi Hanna, was killed in the Monastery when three Muslim men slipped in and stabbed the 71 year old nun. After slitting her throat, they cut her head off (AINA, 2002). Likewise, Muslim gunmen stormed a Hindu temple in 2002 and killed 30 devotees (HinduUnity, 2002). In Australian asylum detention centers, Islamists are stoning, assaulting and sexually harassing Christians, Hindus, and Tamils (POB, 2002). In 2007, twenty three Christian South Korean human aid volunteers went to Afghanistan and were abducted by Muslim radicals. The male and female hostages were beaten for refusing to convert to Islam, and two females reported that they were raped over and over again. In Pakistan, Muslim men kidnapped Christian children, made them convert to Islam, and then forced them to marry Muslim men (AsiaNews, 2007). In September 2007, violent Islamists attacked a Protestant church in Indonesia during Sunday service.

And it gets worse.

In what was perhaps the nastiest attack against another religion, a Muslim slave owner crucified a seven year old Christian boy. Damare Garang had been captured when his Sudanese village was raided by Muslims in 2002. He was sold to an Islamic family in Tuobon, Bahr el Gazel. When his Muslim master caught the young African boy sneaking off to attend church, the Islamist retrieved a board and rusty spikes and proceeded to nail the boy to the Christian symbol (York, 2007). Modern crucifixion seems to be gaining favor with Muslims as Dutch lawmaker Joel Voordewind has pointed out. In Iraq, terrorists are nailing Christians to crosses and binding them with ropes set on fire (Voordewind, 2007).

These acts are horrific and completely unacceptable, but terror groups are doing something equally as sinister and widely unreported. As they constantly seek new ways to avoid detection, they have smartly decided that infiltration holds the best prospect for success. Therefore, radical Islamists have taken to changing the façade of their core beliefs. Simply, they are pretending to be something that they are not. For example, Justice Muhammad Taqi Usmani stated that Muslims should be peaceful in Western countries until they are the majority. Once in large numbers, they should wage violence to establish Islamic supremacy (Norfolk, 2007). Thus, one can see that there are those who are acting peaceful as a rouse. The message is that present peace is phony, and once Muslims achieve majority status, they should wage war. But it is more detailed than this. Muslims have denied their intentions and/or identities in other instances as well. In India, Muslims admit to taking on Hindu names (Ghayyour, 2007). By using the false identities, India’s Muslims hope to avoid real or perceived anger and discrimination. In South America, radical Islamists are using other religious identities to avoid detection. These terror groups have been migrating to South America for years. Peru is said to be one of Osama Bin Laden’s favorite training locales. And in order to lower suspicion, members of the groups have decided to pretend to be of another faith (Williams, 2007).

For instance, in South America, Islamists have met inside Catholic churches to avoid raising a red flag. They have worn crucifixes, taken on Christian names, attended Christian services, stolen dead Christians’ birth certificates, stolen the identity of a dead Catholic priest, and sought asylum under the pretext of being a persecuted Christian. By attempting to blend in using the cover of a different religion, the terrorists believe that scrutiny will be minimized. Thus one must be careful in using appearances to profile. Think of an Islamic terrorist wearing a crucifix and carrying a Bible in order to elude detection at airport or other security check points. They have shown that they will go to any lengths to commit their atrocities. Taking on a Christian identity is just one of many tactics they are currently using. I also found terrorists using the identity of different nationalities when I conducted a study of illegal immigrant sex offenders. One glaring security problem was Puerto Rico. With birthright citizenship, Puerto Ricans can come to the mainland any time they want. Fraudulent documents are a huge industry there as illegals and terror operatives look to enter the island illegally, obtain fake paperwork, and then simply come to the mainland.

In fighting the battle in which terrorists want to destroy the West, one must have no preconceived notions as to how low these psychopathic killers will go. In my work as a profiler and consultant to law enforcement and homeland security, I teach that terror leaders are patient, methodical, and cunning. They are long range strategists who work hard to think outside the box. They will use anything that will help them achieve their goals. And they have proven that they can infiltrate with their terror followers in obscure ways. There are many more tactics the terrorists are using, and as targets, we must be vigilant about who has entered this country. To ignore these psychopaths is to sign one’s own death warrant.

Selected Bibliography

AINA Report on Assyrian Human Rights, Amnesty International report on Assyrian Human Rights, November 2006.

Felix, Qaiser, “Two Christian Girls of 11 and 16 Kidnapped, Converted to Islam and Forced to Marry,” AsiaNews.it, August 22, 2007.

Ghayyour, Rana “Muslims Use Hindu Names to Survive.” Al Alam August 25, 2007.

Hariyadi, Mathias, “Domestic Church Attacked; Pastor and Faithful Injured,” AsiaNews.it, September 5, 2007.

HinduUnity, “Muslims Attack Hindu Temple, 30 Killed,” HinduUnite.org, September 24, 2002).

Norfolk, Andrew, “Our Follwers ‘Must Live in Peace Until Strong Enough to Wage Jihad,’” TimesOnline, September 8, 2007, http://timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/faith/article2409833.ece

Project: Open Book Australia, “Muslims Assault Non-Muslim in Immigration Detention Centres, May 20, 2002, http:/www.domini.org/openbook/aust20020520.htm

Voordewind, Joel, “Christians Crucified in Iraq, Dutch MP Says,” BosNewsLife.com, July 28, 2007, http://www.bosnewslife.com/index.php?//page.newsPayment&id=3056

William F. Jasper. “Behind Islamic Terror,” The New American, August 22, 2007.

Williams, Paul L. (2007). The Day of Islam. Prometheus Books, New York.

York, Nevada “Why is the World Silent on Christian Persecution?” Christian Monitor, February 21, 2007.

----(2002). “Assyrian Nun Savagely Murdered in Baghdad.”

Recruiting in the West: The Lure of Radical Islamic Terror
Copyright © July 11, 2007 Deborah Schurman-Kauflin, Ph.D. Violent Crimes Institute

From the Dr. DSK’s forthcoming book Disturbed: Terrorist Behavioral Profiles

Many question why individuals located in or raised in the freedoms of the West would ever want to engage in terrorism. What would make someone who had seen all of the good things freedom has to offer, turn against that freedom? When consulting with and training law enforcement I point out that often, members of terror groups are professional and very well educated. Terror organizations purposely encourage recruits to become learned, particularly in hard sciences, so that they can understand Western technology and use it against the enemy. Every facet of the enemy should be contemplated, absorbed, and repackaged for use by the terror group. Thus, it was not surprising that the latest terror plot in Europe involved doctors. Anyone can be recruited into a terror organization as long as the individual has the right mindset. Whether one is African American, Caucasian, Hispanic, professional or blue collar, male or female, young or old, the terror draw is always dependent upon the individual’s personality.

Simply, the basic concepts for terror motivation include identity and injury.

Those who are radical in any religion identify themselves first and foremost as members of the religious group. The religion dictates everything, from law to private life. Of note, this is true of all religions. One’s faith and religious obligation are put above everything and everyone, and there is no room for question.

This creates a dissonance for some Muslims who are raised in and those who move to the West. There is a discrepancy between what they read in the Koran, what they observe in jihad (there are over 150 versus about jihad in the Koran), and how they view those Muslims who lead peaceful, tolerant lives. They often feel inferior because they do not necessarily fit in, and they can perceive discrimination whether it occurs or not. In essence, in the West, there are many young Muslims who believe that they do not have community. Suspicious glances by non-Muslims and contempt from Muslims in the Middle East make them feel like second class individuals. That is, they know that because of the actions of many violent Muslims, they themselves are looked at with question. At the same time, those they encounter from the Middle East view them as innovators who do not practice true Islam. Because they live in the West and may partake in Western behaviors (including speech and style of dress) they are mocked by more fundamentalist Muslims as being taghut (impure). So they are not quite fully Western and not ‘fully’ Muslim. This can make them uncomfortable and question identity.

Usually it is at this time that the individual on the radical path suffers a life set back. Whether it is due to the West or not, the young Muslim loses someone or something dear. This may be very personal such as the death of a loved one, or it may be viewing Muslims injured around the world. It may be a personal illness which precludes him from following a dream. Whatever it is, there is something that forces the Muslim to reevaluate his life. Many times, he feels as if he has lost that which matters most to him. With loss and the identity question, dissonance grows. In an effort to escape the pain of loss, young Muslims on the path to radicalism search for more substance in their lives. A psychological struggle ensues. On one hand, they are part of the West, and they can see some good aspects to it, such as specific kind individuals. On the other hand, they are Muslim, and they see the struggles of Muslims worldwide. They see oppressive regimes propped up by the West. And because they perceive themselves as outcasts, they gravitate toward their religion because it cuts across cultures, socioeconomic status, race etc. In this, they find community. Then they focus their attention to the plight of Muslims worldwide in a search for self fulfillment and acceptance. They hear the ever present call to defend and spread Islam and become psychologically isolated from the West. When they internalize perceived/actual discrimination and zero in on global Islamic causes, they come to an understanding that Muslims suffer because of Western influence and policies. Slowly, the West is viewed as a villain, and anxiety and questions plague the young Muslims.

Therefore, they search for answers from their families and religious authorities. However, traditional mosques seem to be unfulfilling for them. The older and moderate imams are less appealing to the younger generation for several reasons. First, they do not work hard to bring the younger generation into the fold, so they are viewed as complacent. As a result, some of the younger Muslims drift from moderation. Second, such Muslims can see two faces of Islam. The first face is that of moderate Muslims who are peaceful and work in their respective societies with tolerance. The second face is that of radicals who view the ancient texts as pure guidelines that must be used in all aspects of life. When such a person is struggling with Muslim oppression and is drawn to the second face of Islam, dangerous thoughts occur. Jihad is exciting, it fills a void, and it provides purpose. One can be drawn to an eternity of bliss in exchange for self sacrifice in the present. No matter what status one has, isn’t it better to have eternal pleasure than instant gratification? This fantasy is seductive.

At the same time, moderation and tolerance is bland. Older, more peaceful Muslims can be seen as sell outs that place country above Islam. But traditional Islam provides no distinction between religion and governance. In fact, Islam is supposed to be the ultimate guide. Accordingly, younger Muslims can come to view the older generation as innovators who betray their religion with their action/inaction. After all, the world is supposed to be Dar ul-Islam, the Land of Islam. If the moderate Muslims are living in peace with those of other religions, are they truly Muslim? Shouldn’t they be working to spread Islam by any means as directed by the Koran? These are examples of some of the queries that run through the minds of young jihadists.

At this point, when they are questioning their societies, they often become more devout. At the same time, they will talk to those around them about fundamentalist Islam. They may go to their local mosque and ask about jihad and the verses in the Koran which can be interpreted as condoning violence. This is a critical point because if young Muslims are ignored or shut down, it is likely that they will seek out someone who will answer such questions. Yet, usually if there are any answers at all to the questions, the individuals find them hollow and unacceptable. Again, the answers are coming from the innovators, those who are not practicing true Islam.

Out of frustration, they begin to actively look for like-minded thinkers. They are bombarded with propaganda by jihadists that demand that Muslims fight for Islam. They see Muslims being injured in the causes of Palestine and Chechnya and are flustered by the inability to intervene. They are angered by what they view as Muslim repression in the West and even in the Middle East. As a result, anxiety rises after their questions concerning jihad are dismissed.

It is their desire to act and be strong in their faith that helps herd them to violence. They believe that they are doing the right thing by answering the call to jihad, so they seek out those who foster their growing desire to act in the name of Allah.

When they find such a radical Muslim, a dangerous spark occurs. A perceptible persona change begins. The individual will go to extremes to practice “pure” Islam. Those around him may notice that he is more forceful in his commitment to fundamental tenets. He may begin demanding that Muslim women around him don the hijab if they are not already doing so. He may withdraw from those more tolerant in order to feel more spiritual and connected to Allah. However, this does not necessarily raise any alarms for those around him. Family and friends are usually not concerned because they view their loved one as harmless. How could delving heavily into religion be a reason for concern? Isn’t it better to be religious than be involved in deviant activities? So, those who surround the individual do not see any potential danger. The only thing they may see is a family member or friend who appears to be struggling with life and turning to religion.

This is when the question of identity comes into play, and it is vital. Radicals will ask young Muslims who they truly are. Are you an American, or are you Muslim? Are you British, or are you Muslim? Are you Australian, or are you Muslim? It is a presented as an either/or proposition. When questioned with such a dichotomy, it can produce great concern. After all, Islam is viewed as being supreme. Thus, one is expected to be Muslim first and foremost. There should be no hesitance in the answer. Islam identity always comes first. And it is here that the path toward violence begins. When one identifies himself by his religion (and with radicals of that religion), it is a short journey to terrible actions.

The individual begins to spend more and more time with fundamentalists. These radicals are clever and play to the egos of those coming to them. They are praised for doing Allah’s work. They are special. They will have eternal joy and be forever immortalized as a martyr. This gives them a sense of purpose which they are lacking. Though they may be professionals, this truly does not make one immune from depression, anxiety, or any mental illness. If one becomes lost in fantasy and there is no one to pull him out, he will only retreat further into that fantasy. In the case of terrorism, the fantasy is often one of sexual reward and legendary status.

The young Muslim believes that Islam is under attack, and that it is his duty to defend the religion. Members of the terror group will often use insidious tactics to herd the individual toward an attack. When the person is cooperative and does what he is told (including training and remaining quiet), he is bestowed with special access to people and information that others are not. He is a brother held in the highest regard. These privileges reinforce his specialness and spiral him toward becoming a suicide attacker.

He gets lost in the fantasy of becoming immortalized as a hero and admitted into sexual paradise. As he gets closer to actually killing himself for the cause, those around him are more respectful, giving him a glimpse at how he will be seen after his attack. Concurrently, he is pushed to commit the act. Those in the terror group realize that the longer one has to consider dying, the more likely an individual will back out. Once training is complete and the plan set, the terror group continually goads the suicide attacker through praises, promises, and even threats if weakness is suspected.

Whether one comes from an affluent background or from a ghetto, individual identity and injury often guide the martyr. A person suffering internally will search out means with which to cope. Sometimes these means are beneficial, and other times they are not. For the suicide attackers, religion and group identity play a vital role in handling suffering. Acceptance, belief in eternal bliss, and a psychological void play key roles in forming the suicide bomber. Terror groups are approached by volunteers who have gone though this mental and social process. When they prove their commitment, it is only a matter of time before they act.

Sadistic Murders on the Rise: Worldwide Terror
Copyright © 2007 Deborah Schurman-Kauflin, Ph.D. Violent Crimes Institute

Throughout history, the world has seen countless sadistic men and women. Such horrid practices as crucifixion, drawing and quartering, slavery, and stoning date back to the days before Jesus Christ. Over the years, many people have enjoyed watching the suffering of helpless victims. Torture was even a spectator sport in ancient Rome. Christians, who because of their beliefs were viewed as strange and even dangerous, were routinely fed to wild animals in a crowded amphitheater. Spectators chanted and applauded as the ‘disgusting’ Christians were marched into the stadium. Their crimes consisted of simply believing in God or converting to Christianity. The deaths were typically slow and involved limbs being torn from bodies. As the Christians screamed, the bloodthirsty crowds taunted them with references to their beliefs. It was recorded that the crowds applauded more as the victims suffered. Similarly, slave owners often tortured their slaves on a regular basis. There have been slaves throughout history on every continent, and their treatment has been nothing short of sadistic. If a slave dares to act against his or her ‘master,’ then torture follows. Owners raped, whipped and even substituted slaves in their places to be tortured or executed when they themselves had broken the law. And sadly, this practice continues today in the Middle East, Asia, Europe, Africa, South America, and even in the United States. Sex slaves are suffering this very second.

And suffering is at the black heart of sadism.

Sadists love making others suffer. They truly enjoy hearing the screams of terrified and hurting victims. Simply, tears turn them on. There is nothing better for sadists than to have victims who are at their mercy. The more the victims are tortured before they die, the happier the sadists. Their pleasure depends on others’ misery. For this reason, sadists love getting into positions of power. Anything that places them in charge of others is golden. Whether they become leaders, doctors, police, or judges, sadists continually seek out others to destroy.

But even though there is a long history of sadistic behavior around the world, currently there is an increase in sadistic sex crimes and murders. Police are seeing an ever growing stream of mutilated and tortured victims. However, do not think that I am only speaking of the United States when I make this statement. There are many such crimes documented in each country worldwide. If you think it does not happen in your country, think again.

In November 2006, Saudi Arabia, which is atrocious in its treatment of women, sentenced a 19 year old gang rape VICTIM to 90 lashes. The woman had a knife shoved at her throat and was then dragged to a farm and raped 14 times. Her little brother beat her up afterward since she disgraced the family by having 5 men shove themselves inside of her against her will. The gang rape itself was sadistic. Add in the deviant behavior of the men who are tormenting her now, and her horror becomes unspeakable. It is sadistic and unacceptable.

Likewise, members of the South African National Defense Force have been connected with rape, torture, and murder of civilians. In fact, there have been almost 300 such criminal cases in 2006 alone. Victims are falling at the feet of the military with no way to defend themselves. At the same time, roving groups are systematically raping, torturing and killing farmers in South Africa. These vicious crimes have been going on for some time, but little attention has been paid by Western Press. To show the level of sadism, take the case of Beatrice Freitas. Ms. Freitas was attacked twice. Four men entered her home and tied up her disabled husband, Jose. After searching the home for valuables, the men asked Ms. Freitas for the location of her iron. In a terrified state, she told them, and they retrieved it. They forced her into the laundry room, took turns raping her, then plugged it in and poured oil on her body. She says that she was in a dissociative state as they applied the iron on her naked skin. Nearly 25 percent of her body had third degree burns. But this was not enough. They then tried to smother her with a towel, and after believing they killed her, they left. She managed to survive, but attackers returned three years later and killed her husband. This is not an isolated incident; these attacks continue quietly.

In Canada, Anthony Daniels Medwid and Donald Corey Martin allegedly murdered a 27 year old man who had invited them to a party. In return for his kindness, the young men were said to have beat and stabbed the victim to death. The scene was horribly bloody, and one of the perpetrators took pleasure in tormenting the victim. The men were charged in early 2007 in this senseless crime. Prior to that, in 2002, Colleen Findlay died at the hands of a sex pervert who bound her with duct tape and raped her before slitting her throat. The perpetrator, Jeremy Vojkovic, was only 15 when he brutalized the mother of three. She had made the mistake of stumbling upon him as he was going through her barn. This was enough to justify sexual homicide in his mind, and after he was through with her, he set her and her house on fire. But what likely received the most worldwide attention was the horrid string of sexual homicides committed by serial killer Robert Pickton. This pig farmer trolled Vancouver’s ‘skid row’ for victims. Pickton admitted his desire to kill 75 women, but he was only charged with 22 counts of murder. Body parts of several victims were found in his freezer and in his wood chipper. Clearly, this was one of Canada’s most gruesome cases on record.

And in the disturbing worldwide trend of vicious murders committed by teens, two sixteen year old Australian girls murdered their friend. In the coldest of cold motivations, they said that they did it just to see how it would feel. One night in 2006, the girls had been smoking marijuana and doing other drugs, and they awoke the next day with a taste for blood. The sixteen year olds grabbed wire and wrapped it around their friend’s throat. While one girl pulled the wire, the other smothered a rag over the victim’s mouth. As blood poured from the victim’s throat, the two killers watched her die slowly. Perhaps most disturbing was their post crime behavior. The girls expressed no remorse. One said “I don’t feel bad about the fact that she is dead.” The other girl said that the death didn’t bother her at all. They simply wanted to see what it felt like to kill.

In October 2005, Indonesia saw a horribly sadistic crime against young girls. Slamet Raharjo was said to have planned the homicides with Muslim cleric Ustadz Sanusi. The goal was to cut the heads off of little girls in retaliation for murders of Muslims. The demented reasoning was that Christians had hurt Muslims in the past, so cutting the heads off of living and breathing little Christian girls would be a good way to get even. Raharjo allegedly told Lilik Purnomo and Irwanto Irano about this masterful plan, and it has been said that this pair began stalking 6 young Christian girls as they walked to and from school. The path was isolated, and the pair stalked them on four separate occasions before finally attacking. They specifically bought 6 machetes for their evil deed and recruited several other Muslims for the crime. On that fateful October day, 4 girls were walking alone, and the attack began. The girls were outnumbered and had little chance to survive. Two girls immediately had their heads sliced off. The men attacked a third girl named Noviana Malewa, but she managed to escape. She bears a scar across her face, but she got away with her life. The fourth girl was not so lucky and was butchered. To add insult to injury, two heads were displayed near a road, and the third was purposely put in front of a church.

El Salvador has an atrocious record of sadistic crimes, particularly against women. It is now the most violent country in Latin America. Just in January 2007, El Salvador averaged 12 murders per day. Women are a preferred target, and almost half of those murders take place right out in the open! I have been told that there is a running joke in El Salvador involving their sex offenders. The joke is that many encourage them to illegally immigrate to the United States. They would like to get rid of them, and it is easy to send them somewhere else rather than deal with the problem. El Salvador has seen unmatched lawlessness that in the past several years. Severed heads of women have shown up right in front of police stations! Despite this outrageous behavior, these crimes have received little attention.

In early 2007 in Japan, 22 year old Lindsay Hawker was found dead in the apartment belonging to her student Tatsuya Ichihachi. Ichihachi was a confessed peeping Tom who had sick violent fantasies. Hawker was found dead in a bath of sand in his apartment. The bath tub was actually filled with sand with the victim placed inside. Police found her nude with bruises covering her boy, and her hand was sticking out from her ‘grave.’ Hawker’s torn clothes were found close by.

Similarly, Scotland has been seeing some horrendous sadistic crimes against women. In 2006, 23 year old Angelika Kluk was found murdered in a church! The Polish student was raped, beaten, and incapacitated. Then, the killer bound and gagged her before he took a knife and plunged it into her 19 times. The pathologist concluded that it was a drawn out attack, meaning she suffered. She was then placed under the floor of the church. The Pathologist said it is possible that she was alive at that time. However, she was found dead the next day.

India is no different. In July 2006, Roma Bhatia found her 10 year old servant trying on her mother’s makeup, and so naturally, she took an aluminum rod, covered it with chili powder, ripped the girl’s clothes off, tied her up, and then shoved the rod up inside the child’s anus. Bhatia then smothered her in order to make her ‘confess’ to trying on the makeup. After that, she left the little girl to bleed to death. Bhatia washed the blood off and went about her day. Not one neighbor responded to the child’s screams.

China has been regularly accused of sadistic behavior in its prisons. Political prisoners have been said to be routinely tortured. Chinese refer to it as ‘reeducation.’ On some occasions, prisoners are put into the shape or a cross. Other times, they are cuffed and hung for days. Still in other cases, prisoners are beaten, force fed, dumped in pits of sewage, and refused any sleep. Hard labor is demanded, and food portions are very small. There are several cases where prisoners are disabled after having been incarcerated. And in other cases, prisoners die from the torture. This still goes on today.

In Pakistan, rape victims are put into prison. Like in Saudi Arabia, rape victims face lashes for being victims. It is common for victim family members to side with the rapists against their daughters and wives. And rape is common in Pakistan. In 2005, a woman named Fareeda was sentenced to 100 lashes for being raped. Her family agreed that she should be prosecuted under barbaric Hudood laws (which require a rape victim to produce 4 male witnesses). Her sentence was reduced to 25 lashes because she was so young. The government has tried to repeal the Hudood laws, but this has been met with resistance from Islamic groups. Being charged with Zina (sex outside marriage) makes the female worthless in such societies, and firmly held beliefs are difficult to change. In fact, honor killings are happening now. In November 2006, four women were murdered 14 days after the Pakistani government passed the Women’s Protection Bill. Sadistic seems too gentle of a word to describe these practices.

And in the United States, sadists are continually on the prowl. On April 2007, a strikingly sadistic rapist attacked a Columbia University graduate student in New York. The perpetrator rode the elevator with the victim to her floor. When she got off, so did he. He then ambushed her as she opened her door. It was then that the horrible attack took place. For 19 hours, the man tormented his victim. He used items of opportunity. Grabbing the coaxial cable, he outstretched her arms and tied her to the bed. He then vaginally and anally raped her. But this was not enough for the sadist. He poked her in the eye and made her do it to herself, and then he slit her eyelids. Still, he was not finished. Before he left, he poured bleach and boiling water on her. However it seems clear that his intent was to kill. In a final act of sadism, he lit the side of her bed on fire as he left. Miraculously, she freed herself and survived this hell. Robert Williams, age 30, was arrested for this crime.

Sadly, there is more.

In January 2007, 21 year old Channon Christian and her boyfriend 23 year old Chris Newsom were tortured to death in Knoxville Tennessee. As the pair drove, they were carjacked by two men. These two men drove the victims back to their rental where three others awaited. As they forced Channon to watch, they tied up Chris Newsom in order to incapacitate him. It was then that they sodomize him and cut off his penis. This was done while he was alive and conscious. Then they shot him in the head. The killers put his lifeless body in blankets, set him on fire, and then dumped him by some railroad tracks. At this point, Channon was in shock and probably knew what was about to happen to her. For days, Channon was raped and sodomized by the sadists. The men took turns raping her orally, vaginally and anally before urinating on her. And what happened after that? They poured cleaning fluid down her throat to destroy evidence. Then mutilation took place. As she lay helpless and bound, the men took a blade to her breasts and cut them off. Channon was then shot and placed into the garbage: she was alive at that time. Death then followed. Lemaricus Davidson, Latalvus Cobbins, George Thomas, Eric Boyd and Vanessa Coleman were charged with murder. However, they do not appear to have been charged under the Hate Crimes statute even though the defendants are all African American and the victims are Caucasian.

Sadistic crimes are the worst of the worst.

As a working profiler, I am seeing more and more sadistic crimes. Whether it is a rape or a murder, it is almost as if perpetrators are trying to outdo each other in order to see who can make a victim suffer the most. I am seeing violence at such an escalating level that, truly, law abiding citizens are in danger. Anger and hatred are growing worldwide, and many people are simply waiting to use any opportunity let out their frustrations. Those with sadistic tendencies are the most dangerous. These people are looking for power. Making others feel pain makes them feel better, so they will do anything to get into a position where they can inflict pain on those who cannot fight back. To them, this behavior releases endorphins in their brains. In their eyes, they are seeking to ‘punish’ bad victims. And in the sadist’s eyes, all victims are bad.

There appears to be a lack of understanding when it comes to the sadistic mind. The general public has a hard time comprehending these offenders. People would rather ignore these types of cases until they are affected personally. Of course by then, it is too late. In short, sadists are eternally angry, and they like causing harm. Torturing victims brings them excitement. Stress is decreased with each terrible act. Their anger runs hot inside them until they get the chance to let it out on a defenseless human being. Once that victim is in place, the only limits the sadist has are those he places himself. He is God-like in that he controls when the victim will live and die. Woe to the person who underestimates the sadist. These offenders are the most tricky to catch because they usually live regular lives. These are the offenders who hold jobs and even have families. They know how to manipulate others and are masterful in escaping law enforcement. Terrorists even fall into this mindset. During the siege at Beslan, terrorists raped and tortured the children. Such behavior does not just simply happen. These are individuals who fantasized and thought about tormenting for a very long time. When the living, breathing victims were at their mercy, they showed none. Because these crimes are so terrible, it is imperative that police and military learn about these offenders. To defeat an enemy, one must understand him. Period. One has no chance against an enemy that he underestimates. To find out more about sadists, check out Vulture: Profiling Sadistic Serial Killers. Or, if you are in law enforcement or the military, check out my behavioral profiling seminars. I will be your guide into the deviant mind.

Selected Bibliography

Amnesty International: Guatemala: No protection, no justice: killings of women (an update) AI Index: AMR 34/019/2006, July 18, 2006.

Amnesty International: Killings of women in El Salvador. AI Index: AMR 29/005/2005. November 25, 2005. http://web.amnesty.org/library/Index/ENGAMR290052005?open&of=ENG-SLV

Asia Human Rights Commission. “Pakistan: Four women allegedly murdered and one man injured by relatives on the pretext of honor killing. February 1, 2007. http://www.ahrchk.net/ua/mainfile.php/2007/2196/

CBC News. “Daughter found bodies after 3 days of call, court hears.” January 10, 2007. http://www.cbc.ca/canada/new-brunswick/story/2007/01/10/nb-court33.html

Falun Dafa Information Center. “Pride of China dies from extended torture in Chinese prison.” August 28, 2003 16:10. http://www.faluninfo.net/DisplayAnArticle.asp?ID=7743

Girad, Daniel. "Serial murder suspect's trial delayed again; 10,000 pieces of evidence still to be processed Lawyer Pickton, accused in 15 deaths, faces additional charges." The Toronto Star. June 29, 2004.

Jenkins, Jonathan. “Teens charged with murder: Brampton man found slain in apartment Saturday.” CNEWS. Canada. March 26, 2007. http://cnews.canoe.ca/CNEWS/Canada/2007/03/26/3837220-sun.html

Karkaria, Bachi. “Who’s the ugliest of them all?” Times of India. July 2, 2006, p, 8.

Maughan, Karyn. “Claims against SANDF set to cost taxpayers.” Janury 31, 2007. http://www.int.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=79&art_id=vn20070131001740240C319143&newslett=1&em= 3202a1a20070131ah

Granju, Katie Allison. “Released documents reveal new details of Christian, Newsom murder investigation.” January 16, 2007. WBIR-TV. www.wbir.com

The Jakarta Post. “Militant says girls beheaded for revenge.” January 17, 2007.” http://www.thejakartapost.com/detailgeneral.asp?fileid=20070117194537&irec=2

The Sun. “Pepping Tom boasts by killer.” April 2, 2007. http://www.thesun.co.uk/article/0,,2-2007150116,00.html

Weiss, Murray. Jared Neumark and Andy Geller. “Evil Rapist’s Face.” New York Post. April 17, 2007. New York.

Western Resistance. “Pakistan: Islamic law, rape and women’s rights.” September 17, 2006. http://www.westernresistance.com/blog/archives/002976.html

----“Girl killers’ sadistic act a mystery, court told.” thewest.com.au (April 24, 2007) http://www.thewest.com.au/default.aspx?MenuID=77&ContentID=26851

Female Terrorists: Behavioral & Psychological Patterns
Copyright © 2007 Deborah Schurman-Kauflin, Ph.D. Violent Crimes Institute

From Dr. DSK's forthcoming book Disturbed: Terrorist Behavioral Profiles

Female terrorists are a threat. Although less common than their male counterparts, women have served as members and martyrs for terror groups. In fact, the ‘gentler’ sex is becoming more involved in violent organizations around the globe. And interestingly, there is a dichotomy as to how this is perceived. Depending on the group, such behavior is either encouraged or frowned upon, and there is a pattern as to the types of women who are recruited.

Within terror organizations which stem from a long tradition of radical religious ideology, women are completely relegated to support and martyr positions. Groups such as the Al-Aqsa Intifada, Chechens, and Hamas have used females as suicide bombers. In fact, women made up 43 percent of suicide bombers in Chechnya. When women assume this role, they work with handlers who guide them through the organization and the attacks. These handlers are typically male, though often in Chechnya, older females accompany female suicide bombers to their destinations (Speckhard & Akhmedova, 2006).

On the other hand, there are some groups that include women in the power structure. Those not associated with a long standing religious ideology are more likely to allow women into positions that offer some control. The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) of Sri Lanka is the most prolific terror group. They have had women in the organization from early on. In fact, the LTTE has trumpeted the notion that women’s liberation is one of its benefits. The females receive the same training as males, and a large number (6,000) have been killed (Gunawardena, 2006). Additionally, there are units comprised of females which are under the women’s military leadership. These include sea Tigers and other well equipped attack teams.

Aum Shinrikyo, the group which carried out the sarin gas attack in Japan’s subway, allowed women in the organization power structure. In fact, leader Shoko Asahara’s most devoted follower was Hisako Ishii. She became minister of finance and actually had a great deal of administrative power (Lifton, 2000). She was devout and worked continually to further the group’s goals. Ishii was the exception rather than the rule. Other women had various positions, but overall, the women were there for recruitment and lesser roles.

Even so, groups like LTTE and Aum offer the promise of direction and status. Women are told that they can be active. Females can perform tasks that are critical and visible, though ultimately, they are not found at the top of the organizational structure. Still, the appeal of having some status is enough to get the attention of many women. The message is clear. Whereas traditionally women may not be able to achieve success outside of the organization (or at least perceive that they cannot), within groups, they feel that they can wield influence through their actions, i.e. importance through being a martyr. This is an effective lure. Further, it is specifically appealing to those women who have been injured in life, and I (as well prior researchers) have repeatedly found that those drawn to terror groups have suffered some type of personal injury. Whether it is physical or emotional, females who pursue these groups are hurt and looking for something to make them feel a sense of control and comfort. The terror groups fill that void. They offer security, an outlet for frustration, and a purpose to an otherwise lost individual. This is seen repeatedly in both men and women. For example, a 68 year old grandmother was used in a suicide bombing attempt by Hamas in late 2006. This woman was besieged with grief over the death of her grandson and destruction of her home (Katz, 2006). Zarima Muzhikhoyeva attempted to blow herself and others up using 1.5 kilograms of explosives contained within her purse. She lost her husband in the first Chechen war (Zedalis, 2004). The pain these women feel is internalized to such a level as to render them hopeless. They get trapped in a mental prison of torturous thoughts. To them, happiness is lost forever.

Types of Women:

Radical Islam generally does not promote women within terror groups. If they are included, they are relegated to being human bombs and/or a minor support roles. Females recruited as martyrs come from different backgrounds, but they do have something in common. In radical Islam and fundamentalist groups, women are things that belong to men. They are there to procreate and please their male superiors (Tzoreff, 2006). Thus, many have been hesitant to encourage females in the roles of suicide attackers. The thinking appears to be that using women would be a waste of baby making machines, and such behavior could erode public support. For instance, it could look bad that men could not finish the fight and needed women to help them. In patriarchal societies, this can be perceived as a failure by the men who could not protect their women. So, in order to avoid this stigma, the groups have become clever in how they use females as suicide attackers. Justifications are put into place within societal structures to make it appear as if this was acceptable all along.

1. The Marginalized:

First, there are ‘dirty’ women pushed to into this role. It is easy to become tainted and unwanted as a female in radical parts of Islam. In fact, being raped turns a woman into garbage. Being disobedient makes her murky. If she cannot procreate, she is nothing. Such a woman is a damaged piece of property, so it is fine to send out trash to be blown up. In other words, the groups that do this kill two birds with one stone. Remove the unwanted (enemy and dirty woman). But it does not end there. Those who support radical groups have been known to double cross women who buy into the idea that they will be ‘cleansed’ if they martyr themselves. Once the females complete the act, some people have disassociated themselves, claiming that the women were not true martyrs at all. The notion is that the women committed suicide instead of sacrificing the self for a higher power. Therefore, the women remain ‘dirty.’ There is a fine line between sacrificing the self for Allah and running from one’s problems. Being a martyr requires wanting to destroy the enemy for Allah. How could a ‘filthy’ woman who wants to escape her shame truly be only motivated by wanting to destroy an enemy for Allah? The argument is that she cannot. Yet this little tidbit is kept from a woman and only brought out after she blows herself to bits.

Second, radical Islamic terror groups have twisted Islam to fit their goals. Though women are treated horribly in areas that follow radical fundamentalism, they are seemingly uplifted when convenient. For example, Muslim women have fought in wars throughout history. The prophet Mohammed’s own child bride Ayesha actually led what was known as the Battle of Carmel (Busool, 1995). Further, an equal status between men and women is expressed in Surat al-Ahzab 33:35. And there have been promises that if a woman sacrifices herself, women who follow her will be allowed to have greater power (Schweitzer, 2006). This is an empty promise designed to trick women into committing the act. Further, this ‘equality’ does not extend to becoming actual decision makers in terror groups. It also does not extend to everyday life. It is only considered when it is deemed necessary to get close to the enemy. Basically, women allowed to be suicide bombers are simply a means to an end. They are weapons and weapons only. They are told when and where to go and how to blow themselves up (Schweitzer, 2006). With time, such acts have become reluctantly accepted in radical Islamic terror groups who are trying to overcome security measures.

2. The Educated:

So it may be surprising that such terror groups have drawn women who come from middle class backgrounds. This section of females is a curiosity as people wonder why women who seemingly have a future would willingly blow themselves up. For instance, in 2003, Dilnoza Holmuradova killed 47 people, including 10 police officers. Holmuradova came from a middle class home and was well educated. Speaking several languages, she even had attended the police academy. She had a driver’s license, a rarity among Uzbek women, and a family who loved her. So why would such a woman blow herself up, taking 47 victims with her?

What people do not understand is the mentality of those drawn to such behaviors. Having studied serial and mass murder for over 20 years, I have a unique perspective on why people commit such atrocities. I conducted the first of its kind research interviewing female serial killers and mass murders back in 1998. I learned a great deal from these women about why and how they act. Further, having been a criminal behavioral profiler for over a decade has given me a very different perspective into the minds of deviant killers. I have seen first-hand how they get the point of killing and how they go about the acts of murder. The mentality of the individual is at the heart of this behavior.

In examining female terrorists, I have found that they have a lot in common with female mass murderers in general. However, there are differences. These terrorists are usually intelligent and thoughtful, yet they are troubled. They have personal issues that they feel they cannot overcome. From a young age, they feel different and have some trouble fitting in. They are prone to having feelings of hopelessness and often attach too much importance on achievement. These women work hard with the thought that doing so will help them achieve inner peace; however, it does not. Instead they have accomplishments at the expense of dealing with emotional issues. In other words, they look great from the outside, but on the inside, they struggle. Life is difficult internally. Then they suffer a relationship setback. A loved one is killed. An affair is exposed. These women who already have a hard time handling change cannot cope with this trauma. They feel insecure and want more out of themselves, and though they are successful, they do not personally feel it.

Essentially, those with a mentality of feeling lost coupled with difficulty accepting change makes these women vulnerable. As I always teach my detectives, one has to look at the way the particular offender perceives things in order to understand her. Has this person internalized pain and externalized blame? When a person has suffered tremendously (even when the suffering is not apparent to others), and that suffering is given a cause due to an external enemy, that person is at risk emotionally. Terror groups take advantage of this pained mentality by supporting the notion that an external enemy is the cause of injury and justice can be attained by acting out violently.

But how does coming from an educated background contribute to this behavior?

When a person is educated, the individual becomes increasingly aware of the many atrocities worldwide. Not only is such a person aware of her individual suffering, but she also sees continual harm elsewhere. This can be depressing for an individual predisposed to that illness. For someone who is uncertain, feeling hurt, and having trouble with moving forward in life, seeing continual suffering of others can further send the female into a downward spiral. She comes to realize that being educated and working hard does not guarantee peace. Such a woman can be unhappier than one with less education. Why? First, she is truly more aware of threats to her and those she loves. Second, she sees futility in being educated in a war zone. She may have followed all of society’s rules and worked hard, but still, inequity and violence remain. Her own internal struggles are still there. She comes to the conclusion that working within the system is useless, and she does not believe that her own suffering will subside. In many ways, such a woman acts in a dissociative manner.

At the same time, idealism that accompanied youth disappears. Joy that she once experienced is gone. And she does not believe that it will return. Being middle class and educated changed nothing. This can make the female feel foolish for even trying, which increases self loathing. Coupled with blaming an external enemy, this self loathing serves as a wick which can be lit by charismatic leaders who know how to manipulate distraught individuals. These women choose to change the focus of their energy. Their tenacity shifts to the terror group, which they seek out. They attempt to placate their turbulent minds by occupying their thoughts with revenge. The terror groups play on that by rebuilding the women in their image. The women are encouraged to change the way they dress and become subservient in the group (Speckhard & Akhmedova, 2006). Why would educated, intelligent women agree to this? Because emotionally they are at the bottom. And they believe the group will take care of them. Instead of having to be strong and make decisions, they can sit back and listen. Being a follower is easier than being a leader. So, this removes the burden of having to achieve and lets their anger and despair guide them. Those in the Intelligence community must understand that just because a woman is educated does not mean that she does not have a mentality of anger and hopelessness. It is the mentality that is the key, not one’s status or education. Too often the general public projects its own beliefs and motivations on others and thus misses what is truly behind another’s actions.

No matter what background these women come from, they are searching for a freedom:

1. Freedom from their pain.
2. Freedom from personal failures.
3. Freedom from stigma.
4. Freedom from oppression (from society & real/perceived occupations)

Propaganda:

Using women is calculated by design to increase group numbers and popularity, and the groups that use women tout that fact (Zedalis, 2004). They view this decision as tactical. It spreads fear in that no one ever knows who could be a group member, and thus the organizations force counter-terror measures to focus attention broadly. This can make it easier for a terror operative to be successful. Simply, not everyone can be watched all the time. Using several types of people makes it harder to profile offenders. The mantra appears to be: stretch the enemy’s efforts thin. As time goes on, it is even more likely that terror groups will utilize those that counter-terror operatives would least expect. It is an intelligent move on the fronts of psychological and physical warfare. As previously mentioned, Hamas used a 68 year old female grandmother to carry out a suicide bombing. The woman was recognized by IDF which was able to contain her effort by throwing a stun grenade at her. This act set off her explosives (Katz, 2006). Military and counter-terror agents must get past personal beliefs that females and even children cannot (or should not) be violent. Given the right mentality, a person from any background can become a suicide attacker.

Second, on the propaganda front, there is another plus to including females in terror organizations (at least to potential members). The leaders of such groups are very charismatic, and they fascinate those who want to join. This presents an almost never ending supply of ‘star struck’ females who would do anything for the group/leader. Sexual favors can be expected of women. Shoko Asahara, leader of Aum Shinrikyo, took advantage of his status for this purpose, and several terror leaders have many female sexual partners, mistresses, and wives. But sexual access is not limited to leaders. Some groups use sex as type of initiation. Others make it less formal, but there is a component of sexual access (whether real or in fantasy) that is promoted to men who join the groups. Aum Shinrikyo used pamphlets with photographs of attractive women to recruit (Lifton, 2000; Storr, 1996). In Hamas, married mother of two, Rim Riashi, was said to have had sexual relations with a senior level Hamas member. This senior member in turn sent out Riashi to be a suicide bomber (Schweitzer, 2006). Palestinian leader Muatez Haimouni romanced an Israeli Arab female over the internet. He then used her to help in his terror plots (Schweitzer, 2006). Though many nationalistic individuals frown upon such behavior, it is a reality in terror groups, and to some, it would be an effective lure.

Conclusion:

Females can play a crucial role in terror groups. Though typically put into support or martyr roles only, women are a valuable tool. They get more attention when they strike, they are more likely to get past security, and they are useful in the psychological warfare of propaganda. There are many reasons females enter these organizations, but a mentality of pain and inability to handle change is common. In examining all individuals who join terrorist groups, it is clear that profiling the mindset is a valuable analytical tool. Behavioral profiling focuses on past behavior as it predicts future behavior. It is of benefit to understand the minds of these offenders as there is a better chance to gather intelligence, conduct successful interviews, and stop attacks before they occur.

Selected Bibliography

Ali, Farhana, “Muslim Female Fighters: An Emerging Trend,” Terrorism Monitor, Vol. 3, Issue 21, November 3, 2005. http://www.jamestown.org/terrorism/news/article.php?articleid=2369824 accessed June 14, 2006.

BBC News. (January 14, 2004). “Hamas Women Bomber Kills Israelis.” http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/3395973.stm accessed 11-04-06.

Beyler, Clara. (February 12, 2003). “Messengers of Death: Female Suicide bombers.” Available from http://www.ict.org.il/articles/articledet.cfm?articleid=471; Internet; accessed January 5, 2005.

Boswell, Randy, “Black Widows Put Moscow Under Siege: Female Suicide Bombers Spread Wave of Terror Across Russian Capital,” Ottawa Citizen, July 11, 2003, sec. A, p.1, database on-line; available from Lexis-Nexis; accessed February 22, 2005.

Busool, Assad Nimer. (1995). Muslim Women Warriors. Chicago, IL. Al Huda.

Giduck, John. (2005). Terror at Beslan. Archangel Group.

Gunawardena, Arjuna. (2006). “Female Black Tigers: A Different Breed of Cat?” The Jaffee Center for Strategic Studies. Tel Aviv: Israel.

Institute for War & Peace Reporting, “Uzbekistan: Affluent Suicide Bombers,” IWPR (RCA No. 278, 20-Apr-04). http://iwpr.net/?p=rca&s=f&o=176631&apc_state=henirca2004 accessed November 2005.

Issacharoff, Avi. “The Palestinian and Israeli Media on Female Suicide Terrorists.” The Jaffee Center for Strategic Studies. Tel Aviv: Israel. August 2006.

Julian, Hana L., “Female Suicide Bomber Organization Founded by Fatah,” IsraelNationalNews.com, July 11, 2006, http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/106982 accessed October 2006.

Katz, Yaakov. “Female Bomber, 68, Wounds 3 IDF Troops.” Jerusalem Post. Jerusalem. November 23, 2006.

Neuburger, Luisella & Valentini, Tiziana. (1996). Women and Terrorism. New York: St. Martin’s Press.

Pape, Robert A. (2005). Dying to Win: The Strategic Logic of Suicide Terrorism. New York: Random House.

Ramachandran, Sudha, “Uzbekistan’s Femme Fatales,” Online Asia Times, April 28, 2004. http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Central_Asia/FD28Ag01.html

Regular, Arnon. “Mother of Two Becomes First Female Suicide Bomber for Hamas,” Haaretz, January 16, 2004.

Schweitzer, Yoram. “Palestinian Female Suicide Bombers: Reality vs. Myth.” The Jaffee Center for Strategic Studies. Tel Aviv: Israel. August 2006.

Schweitzer, Yoram. “Female Suicide Bombers: Dying for Equality?” The Jaffee Center for Strategic Studies. Tel Aviv: Israel. August 2006.

Skaine, Rosemarie. (2006). Female Suicide Bombers. Jefferson, N.C. McFarland Press.

Speckhard, Anne and Akhmedova, Khapta. “Black Widows: The Chechen Female Suicide Terrorists.” The Jaffee Center for Strategic Studies. Tel Aviv: Israel. August 2006.

Stern, Jessica. (2004). Terror in the Name of God: Why Religious Militants Kill. New York: Harper Perennial.

Stern, Jessica. “When Bombers are Women,” Washington Post, Sec 1A, p. 35. Washington, D.C. December 18, 2003.

Storr, Anthony. (1996). Feet of Clay: Saints, Sinners, and Madmen: A Study of Gurus. New York: New York Free Press.

Toameh, Khaled Abu. (July 10, 2006). “Al-Aksa Announce Female Bomber Unit.”

Mideast.jpost.com http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull&cid=1150885963162 accessed July 28, 2006.

Tzoreff, Mira. “The Palestinian Shahida: National Patriotism, Islamic Feminism, or Social Crisis.” The Jaffee Center for Strategic Studies. Tel Aviv: Israel. August 2006.

Victor, Barbara. (2003). Army of Roses: Inside the World of Palestinian Women Suicide Bombers. Rodale.

Waldman, Amy, “Masters of Suicide Bombing: Tamil Guerrillas of Sri Lanka,” New York Times, January 14, 2003, Sec A p, 1. New York, New York.

Yadlin, Rivka. “Female Martyrdom: The Ultimate Embodiment of Islamic Existence?” The Jaffee Center for Strategic Studies. Tel Aviv: Israel. August 2006.

Zedalis, Debra D. “Female Suicide Bombers.” Strategic Studies Institute. Carlisle Barracks, PA. 2004.

Invisible Prey: Profiling African American Serial Murder Victims
Copyright © 2007 Deborah Schurman-Kauflin, Ph.D. Violent Crimes Institute

Few crimes draw more headlines that those of the serial killer. Like clockwork, news programs highlight the open cases where a sinister predator is hunting and killing. These shows focus on alerting the public to the danger lurking, and often, victim family members are interviewed to demonstrate how their lives have been shattered. The public is asked to be vigilant and stay safe. And by getting this information out, these shows are popular and provide a good service.

In the summer of 2006, news programs continually ran the stories about two serial killers operating in the Phoenix Arizona area. Serial shooters were targeting hapless victims who happened to be at the wrong place at the wrong time, and the Baseline rapist turned into a boogeyman who sexually murdered his victims. Two serial killers were murdering at once, and people were caught off guard. Invariably, it was common to hear that this was the first time such a thing had happened. However this was far from true. While the Phoenix cases grabbed big headlines, I quietly worked with police in the Atlanta area where several serial predators were claiming victims. These included murders and rape/murders, but they were serial in nature. That is, more than one serial rapist/killer was killing in the Atlanta area. In one serial case, a man has been charged, and we were pleased to get one of the killers off the streets. But there are still those other cases which remain open, but it is unlikely that the general public is aware.

Likewise, in Chicago in the late 1990’s, there were four serial sexual killers hunting in the dangerous South Side. Four unique signatures (patterns of killing) emerged, and police were very forthright about the dangers. One offender, Andre Crawford, used a very simple rouse to acquire his prey: drugs. He would promise down and out females cocaine in exchange for sex. The desperate victims were then lured into abandoned buildings with no one around to hear their screams. Then Crawford would rape and strangle the women. Their bodies were left in the buildings which served as their tombs. In some cases, the killers return to rape the corpses as they decompose. Another offender, Hubert Geralds, seemed to take joy in putting his victims in trash containers. Serial killers enjoy disposing of victims in ‘no dumping’ areas or in trash piles or trash cans. It is their way of giving the victim, the police, and the general public a big symbolic middle finger.

As heinous as this sounds, chances are that most people in the general public have not heard of these cases.

In St. Louis, there have been several predators in the run down areas of the city. In East St. Louis alone, eight women were slaughtered in a small area within two years in the late 1990’s. The areas where the victims were abducted and found were full of crime. Prostitution and drug use were common in the crime scene areas. And the victims were degraded even in death. Typically the victims were stripped, raped, strangled, and then left in public view. In some cases, the women were partially placed in trash bags, a poignant and symbolic staging. In essence, the killer was saying that the victims were garbage. Though several serial predators were apprehended, chances are most people never knew.

Los Angeles, which has seen its share of serial killers, has also dealt with multiple serial murderers at once. In recent years, several victims known as “strawberries: have faced death by homicide in L.A. County. “Strawberries,” are women who exchange sexual favors for crack, and there have been a striking number who have been found tossed aside after being butchered. With separate signatures and DNA, there are several human hunters involved. The cases often linger with some local news coverage, but the cases receive nil in terms of national attention. Recently it was briefly mentioned that Ivan Hill was convicted as the ’60 Freeway Slayer.’ He was convicted for murdering six women and dumping their bodies along the highway. These women were prostitutes, and though local media covered the crimes, there was not much in terms of national news interest.

At the same time, in New Orleans and New Jersey, female victims turned up dead in dangerous areas. In each city, the patterns were unique, and it was clear that serial killers were roaming the streets. Because there were so many homicide victims, task forces were formed, but many cases remain unsolved. It was estimated that there were six serial murderers in the New Orleans area in the late 1990’s. On the plus side, police in the New Orleans area have been successful in apprehending such offenders, but after Hurricane Katrina, they are stretched thin. The murder rate is extremely high.

With such astounding situations, one would expect that news shows would have covered these ad nauseum. But even though these crimes were those of the serial killers, and they occurred in large cities, the average person never heard of them. Whereas the BTK killer, Joseph Edward Duncan, John Mark Karr (who was not connected with the Jon Benet Ramsey), and other cases grabbed the national spotlight, these cases in Atlanta, Chicago, St. Louis and elsewhere were seemingly ignored.

Why?

Victimology can help answer that question. These victims were mostly poor and African American. In each locale, female victims were quietly snuffed out, and though law enforcement worked diligently to do its part, very often, there just was never the interest in the victims that one sees in other cases continually run on every news program.

One day I was talking with an African American gentleman on my way to be on a news program. Upon learning what I do for a living, he asked why the national news showed little interest in cases where African American females were killed. He spoke of endless programs featuring the death of a lone Caucasian female, but he said that he could not remember any such shows dedicated to a lone African American female (let alone, several victims). I immediately thought about the cases around the country, and I tried to think of shows that focused on them as much as they had centered on Caucasian victims. They just were not there. Most people had no idea that several serial killers had preyed at one time on African American women in Atlanta, Chicago, St. Louis, Los Angeles, New Orleans, and New Jersey. The women were seemingly invisible. This low profile actually aids the killers as they do not fear high levels of scrutiny. In essence, an alert public can help a criminal investigation.

With that in mind, I wanted to highlight some of the characteristics of the women who died in the aforementioned cities. First, the majority of African American victims in these cases were of a lower socioeconomic status. In fact, in my case in Atlanta, one of the victims was a Hurricane Katrina survivor. She had made it through the storm, relocated to Atlanta, and then fell victim to a serial killer. Her attacker broke into her apartment and ferociously attacked her as she fought for her life. She was described by her family as a smart woman who picked herself up all of her life. But she could not overpower her assailant who strangled her and then posed her body. The offender had a long history of violence and said that he had no animosity toward his victims. Apparently he did not hate them; he just killed them.

Next, these victims struggle to make ends meet. Often they lived in high crime areas, and many had low education levels. Several had been trying to better their lives, whether it is through more education or working long hours. Others had fallen into prostitution and drug use. This made them extremely vulnerable. In high crime areas, social networks are loose, and it is more likely that predators can move in and out of these areas undetected. Such areas are very unstable, and those who are permanent residents prefer to stay away from law enforcement for fear of criminal retribution. In other words, talking to police can get a person killed. So anonymity is the rule. This reinforces the safety for the offenders. They do not fear witnesses.

Sometimes when the victim bodies are found, it takes a long time to even identify them due to this anonymity. Then, there is the matter is tying crimes together. Signature behaviors and physical evidence can link crimes. When this occurs, usually there is some type of release to the media that a serial predator is working in an area. Local papers and sometimes television will mention the stories. National papers have an article or two. Sometimes though, the crimes get no mention. And intense national coverage just does not happen.

The women tended to fall into an age range of 16-49. It was also common for the women to have children. Typically, they had more than one child, and the children tended to be under 10 at the time of the murders. When the actual homicides took place, the children were usually with other family members. An older female was often a caretaker. There were many instances where the women had lost custody of their children.

Next, the victims were typically single or estranged from a spouse. The relationships were rocky and on again/off again. They came from abusive backgrounds, and often suffered domestic abuse when they were in relationships. Interestingly, they were said to give as well as they got, meaning they were not cowards. They knew how to fight in life. They had strong personalities, and were free spirits. Education presented challenges for the victims as they enjoyed things that tended to get them into trouble, such as drinking. So school work suffered, and in many cases, the women simply dropped out.

Almost all did not own cars, and they resided in apartments versus houses. The apartments were small, and they usually shared their space with their children and/or another person. They had modest furnishings. At the same time, the women tried to keep up their appearances, wearing hair extensions and having nails done. However, finances were difficult. Many did not have steady work. Plus, few had job skills. Of those who held jobs, their work histories were sporadic, with layoffs being problematic. Many turned to prostitution as a way to cope. It was common for all of the women to express their desire to better themselves. Circumstances of poverty and bad relationships and/or drug use stood in the way. Thus, the women were very jaded and sometimes fatalistic. Some predicted their own deaths because of their dangerous life styles or place of residence.

Most of the attacks took place outdoors. Victims were outside and usually walking by themselves in bad areas. Offenders ambushed or conned the victims. The con job usually involved the killer offering drugs or money to the victims. Once the victims’ guards were down, the offender maneuvered the women into isolated locations. When the victims were vulnerable, the attacks ensued. All types of murder methods were used including beating, stabbing, strangling, and shooting. And all of the victims certainly suffered immense terror.
Once the murders took place, the killers either left them in isolated areas or put them in with the trash. It usually took several victims for a pattern to be established. Once that occurred, police put full resources into the investigations; however, it was not always reported by media that serial killers were hunting. After a significant amount of time, there truly was not an intense media focus on these homicides. I have never seen a detective that does not put his/her all into an investigation. These officers do care no matter who the victim. But cases such as these need more media focus. Even though there is not time to highlight every case, surely there is some time to devote every once in a while. As I continually point out, ALL VICTIMS MATTER. No one gets to commit serial murder and sexual homicide and be excused for it.

I wrote this article because of the kind gentleman who simply asked the question of why no one seemed to be focusing on these women on a national level. Hopefully people will take more of an interest in these types of homicides, and thus, media will spotlight them when they occur. With pressure, offenders tend to slip up, and the public is more likely to see something that can be reported. Tips are vital in these investigations. A spotlight on these crimes gives victims a fighting chance.

Selected Bibliography

Belluck, Pam. (July 26, 1999). “Decrepit Buildings Shield Crimes of a Serial Killer.” New York Times. NY, NY.

Belluck, Pam (July 26, 1999). “Chicago Neighborhood Fears Killer In Midst.”. Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_qn4196/is_19990726/ai_n10527625

Berry, W.K. (March 3, 1994). “Pomona NAACP criticizes police department: serial murder case.” Precinct Reporter. California.

Gambit Weekly, Commentary. (June 3, 2003). “Anatomy of an Investigation.” http://www.bestofneworleans.com/dispatch/2003-06-03/commentary.html (accessed January 2, 2007).

Jameson, Tonya. (July 9, 2003). “Black serial killers and their victims often ignored by media.” Knight Ridder Newspapers.

Charlotte, N.C.

Pelisek, Christine. (June 7, 2006). “The Sex Murder Files: A serial killer may be stalking L.A. prostitutes.” L.A. Weekly.

Sieber, Samantha. (April 3, 2003). “Louisiana victims’ relatives petition for serial killer investigation funding.” University Wire.

Westfieldt, Amy. (April 2, 1998). “Police fear serial killer at work in northern New Jersey.” Associated Press. New Jersey.

Denver Post. (May 3, 1996). “Addict admits killing 12 women.” Associated Press. Denver, CO.

CNN. (January 3, 2007) “Jury: Death for ’60 Freeway Slayer.’ Law Center. http://www.cnn.com/2007/LAW/01/03/freeway.killer.ap/index.html (accessed January 5, 2007).

Seattle Post-Intelligencer. (July 20, 1999). “Serial killer stalks Chicago women.” Seattle, WA.

Star Tribune (May 2, 1996). “Man charged in 8 slayings wanted in sex crime.” http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-62628983.html (accessed January 1, 2007). Minneapolis, MN.

School Shooters Are Putting a Bull's Eye on Children
Copyright © 2006, Violent Crimes Institute
By Deborah Schurman-Kauflin, Ph.D. Violent Crimes Institute

It always shocks society. Whenever children are targeted by a mass killer, the news media fixates and the public is sickened. Over the years, the number of attacks at schools has fluctuated. Some years the numbers are greater, and other years, the numbers are much less. More recently, there has been a spike in the incidences of predators going into schools with the sole purpose of causing as much devastation as possible. As is typical, specific individuals are sought out for a just revenge. However, recent shootings point to offenders who are searching for a type of individual versus someone in particular. Once the offender corners his victim type, he then decides the ways the victims will be killed.

I have studied serial and mass murder for over 20 years. I work with police around the country, teach FBI, homicide/sex crimes detectives, and I have interviewed many serial killers and mass murderers. Thus, I have a unique insight into their minds. Though many believe that these perpetrators are searching for notoriety, that is a minimal part of what motivates them. More than any other factor, the desire for revenge lights their dangerous fuses. These are individuals who hold in their anger. As they have said to me, year after year, they put up with a perceived onslaught against their identities. They believe that their manhood has been compromised. Whether this comes from a loss of a relationship or job, or whether it arises from a perceived failure in his life, the offenders blame certain individuals for all of life’s ills. They have lost direction and do not think that they can fix their lives. They do not see a future, and it is essential that they make others suffer so that they are not the only ones feeling pain.

Violent thoughts plague them. Sometimes these are disturbing to the individuals. But mostly, the offenders feel totally justified. They are angry at everyone, including God. Often these perpetrators have religious backgrounds. but they believe that they have been abandoned, not only by the world, but by their higher power as well. Many of these offenders have told me that they feel like the walking dead. This gives them freedom because if they are already dead, no one can hurt them. It also makes them invincible as they have no fear of retaliation or punishment for their grandiose plans. They know that either police will kill them, or they will kill themselves.

With this mentality, the offenders become ever more angry. Every time they perceive that someone has wronged them, they put it into a mental vault. This vault acts as evidence in a trial that is taking place in their heads. The more evidence that builds, the more they get comfortable with the thought of committing an act of mass violence. By the time they act, they have tried and convicted potential victims in their minds. The victims will be an outlet and punishment for all of the horrors they have endured in life. Beyond these slights, usually there has been a single event to which the offenders can point which changed them irreversibly. They cannot get past this event, and it made them different people. It is when these huge events occur that the offenders know that they are more than capable of killing.

But why target children in schools?

Schools are open soft targets that are easily accessible for mass murderers and terrorists. Though some schools have metal detectors and guards, many others do not. And even those that have such security measures are not nearly as protected as people would like to believe. Having interviewed many serial killers and mass murderers, I can attest to the fact that such offenders are quite prepared to do whatever is necessary to get to their victims. As one murderer said to me “anyone can be gotten. It’s time that’s the thing. It can be like months or, you know, more….who can watch their back every day?” Such dedication leads to a horrific crime scene.

Furthermore, children are easy to control. It is much simpler to keep teenagers and young children at one’s mercy than it is to handle adults. Adults are too threatening, so these vicious killers seek targets with the least resistance. Second, these offenders know that harming children en mass makes a hard statement. There will be more shock and horror and thus more pain caused. Thus the predators get a 2 for 1 deal: easy victims and devastating pain. Remember, these offenders want revenge. They want to release the anger that is inside. They want to hurt people as much as they believe they have been hurt. So killing many children makes sense. What better way to scare and cause chaos?

In recent attacks in the U.S., offenders have taken the extra step of acting out sexual fantasies. Girls have specifically been the victims. These offenders have molested and bound these females in an effort to act out part of their dark desires before they die. For those offenders who seek sexual gratification prior to killing, it is in the offender’s interest to have an entire group to terrorize. Instead of only having one female to torment, when attacking in a public place, there are many victims to choose from. This gives the perpetrators feelings of elation. They actually get a choice as to who gets what, and it provides a perverse pleasure as they prepare their exits. Not only do they serve their own impulses, but they know that society will be sickened that the females were molested prior to being killed. These assaults serve many purposes, but the over-riding desire to inflict suffering is their goal.

Disturbingly, when offenders are bent on dying themselves, it makes thwarting such attacks very difficult. Metal detectors can be installed everywhere. Armed guards can be in place. However, determined perpetrators will look for ways around such measures. Offenders heavily armed will set off detectors, but they can simply shoot guards before the guards can react. Or, they can wait until children exit the building and pick them off as they move out. There is no guaranteed way to stop these attacks. Some call for gun control, but predators can run down groups of victims with cars if they truly want to cause mass casualties. Furthermore, offenders who are ready to kill would not be above buying guns illegally. Vigilance is essential. Educating the public as to warning signs is a must. Often these predators will forecast their crimes. People need to listen for such dire predictions and be willing to speak up. More than one school attack has been thwarted by students reporting threats which were overheard. The importance of this cannot be undervalued.

Schools are vulnerable. However, increased surveillance and security couple with vigilance can make a world of difference. Both serial and mass murderers have told me that they will take extraordinary steps to get to their victim choice. But whenever eyes were watching them, they often broke off their efforts. So watchfulness is very important. Law enforcement should receive more training, and there must be more research to examine these offenders so we can learn better ways to stop them before they kill.

Profiling Sex Trafficking: Illegal Immigrants At Risk
Copyright © 2006, Violent Crimes Institute
By Deborah Schurman-Kauflin, Ph.D. Violent Crimes Institute

Slavery is not dead. This wretched practice is alive and well around the entire world. In fact, there are around 2 million sex slaves today. I recently did a study of illegal immigrants in the U.S. who commit sex crimes. In the process, I discovered that there are many illegal immigrants who are the victims of sex crimes. Being illegal immigrants, many times, they remain silent, and with silence, bad things prosper.

Women and girls are trafficked from many countries in Europe, Asia, Africa, Latin America, and the Middle East. Mexico is the number one source for young female sex slaves in North America. Tlaxcala, in Central Mexico serves as a hotbed for slave traders. Young women and girls are abducted, tricked, and sometimes sold by poor families into a caged life. Highly prized are 12 year old girls sneaking across the border into the United States. The girls are grabbed by Los Lenones, aka pimps, and dragged to unfamiliar areas where they are ‘broken in.’ It is well known that this often occurs in Mexico. The initiation process entails 20-30 men per day having brutal sex with the girls and women. Victims are beaten, drugged, and repeatedly raped until their wills are broken. It is then that the sale is possible.

‘Buyers’ can travel to various countries and actually buy females for the sole purpose of using them as sex slaves in the United States. Once the ‘buyer’ arrives in a country, it is easy to find ‘sellers’ ready to move their ‘merchandise.’ In some instances, a buyer is brought to a secluded location, where sellers actually make the female victims strip. This is to ensure that the victim looks good and has no visible defects. Likewise, in parts of Mexico, captives are made to parade in front of potential customers, much like cattle at auction. Vendors are even present to sell snacks.

Whether they come from Russia, China, or Mexico itself, it is often easiest for traffickers to bring the females across the U.S./Mexico border because it is not sufficiently guarded. Some go through checkpoints with fraudulent paperwork. Others go by foot. The U.S. State Department estimates that 10,000 human beings are trafficked into the States as sex slaves. Numbers available almost 10 years ago show that there were 5,000 Asian female sex slaves in Los Angeles alone. However, it is impossible to know exact figures because victims are tormented and intimidated into silence.

Once in the States, the women and girls are forced into isolation. Many times they do not see the outside for long periods of time until the pimps decide to rotate them to other cities. Inside their living hell, the females are regularly beaten and sometimes tied to the beds. They remain inside and are constantly pushed to service customers 24 hour a day. In fact, it is reported that there are often long lines of 30-35 offenders who are waiting to pay for sex with a pretty young girl. If the girls resist, they are tortured, raped, drugged, threatened, or sometimes even killed. There are cases where the girls are hung by the ceiling and beaten with baseball bats, and others where the females are starved. To add insult to injury, men sometimes videotaped the sex to use as pornography.

Surprisingly, the brothels can take the form of homes, apartments, spas, massage parlors, and hotels. At the brothels, customers have a several choices: toddlers, pre-teens, and teens. Though customers are supposed to wear condoms, they often do not. Thus, the women and girls run the risk of being exposed to sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV. And of course, without condoms, the females can become pregnant. In the event of a pregnancy, the females are either forced to have an abortion or their children are snatched away and used as leverage. Often, the women and girls do not speak English, and so, even if they could run away, they have no way to communicate their plights. Brothels can be located anywhere. Even middle class neighborhoods can be at risk.

The females are usually young and idealistic. Many hope to come to the United States for a better life, and in the process, they are re-routed into terror. Some make the mistake of trusting someone who lies to them. Others attempt to sneak into the U.S. and get kidnapped along the way. And yet others are simply sold by parents. These girls tend to be loyal but emotionally or physically abandoned. They are surrounded by high stress levels and are often uneducated and unskilled. They truly desire the opportunity to work in the U.S. Sadly, many come from countries where police are as corrupt as their traffickers, so when they reach the States, they are reluctant to seek the help of law enforcement.

Profile:
Young
Idealistic
Naïve
Loyal
Uneducated
Low socioeconomic status
No options (desperate)
High stress
Emotionally or physically abandoned
Low self esteem
Unskilled
Distrust police

The typical pimp is said to resemble the victims in race and background. In fact, many times, the traffickers are naturalized citizens who still have ties to their home countries. They have a network of criminal associates who provide them with females. Usually, the perpetrators work their way through criminal organizations until they have built wealth from selling sex slaves. The crime is lucrative, and the supply of females is virtually endless.

Perpetrators can be of any age and race, though kidnappers tend to be younger than those who actually run the brothels. Those who engage in such activities tend to be psychopathic and sadistic. They have no concern for the females. They keep the girls in deplorable conditions and show open contempt. As the females are broken down and become more compliant, the traffickers become more demanding and demeaning, often requiring manual labor on top of prostitution. Both women and men are perpetrators, and the females are no less brutal than their male counterparts. These offenders spend extravagantly on themselves and are less likely to have any stable work history. They make their money from criminal enterprise, and their best skills appear to be manipulating and deceiving.

These pimps usually target an audience of their own community. That is, if the perpetrator is a Caucasian from a middle class background, he sells slaves to others from his background. Or, if the perpetrator is an individual from Mexico or Russia, he serves a migrant community. Those in the cities often focus on using store fronts to hide their activities. Those who target migrant communities search for remote farms where the illegal activity is less likely to be discovered.

Entry into the U.S. is perceived to be relatively easy at the U.S./Mexico border. Thus, this is a main artery for this activity. Puerto Rico is another point of entry as there are only 23 U.S. border patrol for the entire island. Once individuals enter Puerto Rico, with fake paperwork, coming to the mainland is simple. This is a dangerous open back door to the U.S., and traffickers are taking notice.

Serial killers. Pimps. Gangs. Any one of the most vicious sexual offenders can prey upon illegal immigrant females coming into the States. Kidnapping these girls as they sneak across the southern U.S. border is relatively easy. Dumping the lifeless bodies in the desert is also easy, and without identification, solving the murders is extremely difficult.

People need to become more aware of all victims of sex crimes. Whether it is an illegal immigrant committing these crimes, or whether it is an illegal immigrant who is a victim, the problems need to be exposed and addressed. No one is above the law. No one is allowed to commit sexual homicide or sex crimes and trafficking. ALL VICTIMS MATTER.

Selected bibliography for further reading:

Bode, Nicole. (2006) “Prostitution Horror for Young Women.” Daily News. http://www.nydailynews.com/front/story/296058p-253464c.html August 3, 2006.

Coalition Against Trafficking in Women, United. States http://www.catwinternational.org/factbook/usa1.php

Hughes, Donna M. (2000) “The Natashia Trade: The Transnational Shadow Market of Trafficking Women.” Journal of International Affairs. 53(2) Spring 2000.

Human Rights Center. (2004). “Hidden Slaves: Forced Labor in the United. States.” University of California. Berkeley, CA.

Hutchinson, Kay Bailey. (2005). Introduction of Amendment 218 to S. Con. Res. 18, The Fiscal Year 2006 Budget Resolution. Congressional Record, 109th Congress. Page: S2828. http://www.senate.gov/~hutchison/speec435.htm

Klein, Allison & Anderson, Nick. (2005). “Langley Park Reeling After Slashings of 5 Victims in 5 Days.” Washington Post. Tuesday August 16, 2005. Washington, D.C. Page: A01 http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/08/15/AR2005081501524.html

Kralis, Barbara. (2006). “How Trafficking Scams Work.” Renew/America. http://www.renewamerica.us/columns/kralis/060731

Landesman, Peter. (2004). “The Girls Next Door.” The New York Times. January 25, 2004. http://www.nytimes.com/2004/01/25/magazine/25SEXTRAFFIC.html?ei=5007&en=43dbe6ef76e45af8&ex=1390366800

Local 6.com (2006). “Florida Man Sentenced for having Sex Slave.” Bonita Springs, FL. http://www.local6.com/news/9613282/detail.html

Miller, John. R. (2005). “A Modern Slave Trade.” Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons. New York Post Online Edition. http://www.state.gov/g/tip/rls/48633.htm

Poe, Ted (2006). “Silent Back Door Of Illegal Entry-Puerto Rico). House of Representatives. Washington, D.C. http://www.house.gov/poe/remarks/july06/puertorico07-12.htm

Raymond, J.G., Hughes, D.M., Gomez, C.J. (2001). “Sex Trafficking of Women in the United States.” Coalition Against Trafficking in Women.

Rosenreid, Seth. (1997). “Global Sex Slavery.” San Francisco Examiner. April 6, 1997. San Francisco, CA.

Schreinemacher, Elisabeth. (2005). “The Slave Next Door.” Finalcall.com. http://www.finalcall.com/artman/publish/article_2306.shtml

U.S. Department of Justice. (2001). Press Release. United States Attorney, Northern District of California. San Francisco, CA. Cite: http://www.oig.dol.gov/public/media/lbreddy.html

U.S. Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons (2003).

U.S. State Department. (2006). “Distinctions between Human Smuggling and Human Trafficking.” The Human Smuggling and Trafficking Center.

Van Sant, Peter. (2005). “Rescued from Sex Slavery.” 48 Hours Mystery, CBS News. February 23, 2005. New York.

Vitagliano, Ed. (2004). “Malevolent Bargains.” American Family Association Journal. http://www.afajournal.org/2004/april/404culture.asp

Whitehead, John W. (2006). “Sex Trafficking: The Real Immigration Problem.” The Rutherford Institute. http://www.rutherford.org/articles_db/commentary.asp?record_id=397

Young, Gary. (2005).”Haitian children sold as cheap labourers and Prostitutes for little more than E50.” The Guardian International. U.K. September 22, 2005. http://www.guardian.co.uk/international/story/0,,1575268,00.html

Miller, John. R. (2005). “A Modern Slave Trade.” Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons. New York Post Online Edition. http://www.state.gov/g/tip/rls/48633.htm

Yang, Debra Wong. (2005). Press Release. U.S. Department of Justice. United States Attorney Central District of California. Los Angeles, CA. Kralis, Barbara. (2006). “How Trafficking Scams Work.” Renew/America. http://www.renewamerica.us/columns/kralis/060731

Poe, Ted (2006). “Silent Back Door Of Illegal Entry-Puerto Rico). House of Representatives. Washington, D.C. http://www.house.gov/poe/remarks/july06/puertorico07-12.htm

Please note: This study of illegal immigrants who committed sex crimes in the U.S. was NOT funded by anyone or any group. As a working profiler, I wondered what the statistics were regarding these crimes. I could not find any studies that discussed these offenses and the profile of the offenders, so I did the research myself. Additionally, I was not paid for publishing the results.

The Dark Side of Illegal Immigration: Nearly One Million Sex Crimes Committed by Illegal Immigrants in the United States
Copyright © 2006, Violent Crimes Institute
By Deborah Schurman-Kauflin, Ph.D. Violent Crimes Institute, Atlanta, Georgia

Introduction:
After conducting a 12 month in-depth study of illegal immigrants who committed sex crimes and murders for the time period of January 1999 through April 2006 , it is clear that the U.S. public faces a dangerous threat from sex predators who cross the U.S. borders illegally.

There were 1500 cases analyzed in depth. They included: serial rapes, serial murders, sexual homicides, and child molestation committed by illegal immigrants. Police reports, public records, interviews with police, and media accounts were all included. Offenders were located in 36 states, but it is clear, that the most of the offenders were located in states with the highest numbers of illegal immigrants. California was number one, followed by Texas, Arizona, New Jersey, New York, and Florida.

Based on population numbers of 12,000,000 illegal immigrants and the fact that young males make up more of this population than the general U.S. population, sex offenders in the illegal immigrant group make up a higher percentage. When examining ICE reports and public records, it is consistent to find sex offenders comprising 2% of illegals apprehended. Based on this 2% figure, which is conservative, there are approximately 240,000 illegal immigrant sex offenders in the United States.

This translates to 93 sex offenders and 12 serial sexual offenders coming across U.S. borders illegally per day. The 1500 offenders in this study had a total of 5,999 victims. Each sex offender averaged 4 victims. This places the estimate for victimization numbers around 960,000 for the 88 months examined in this study.

Victims:
Of the 1500 cases reviewed, 525 (35%) were child molestations, 358 (24%) were rapes, and 617 (41%) were sexual homicides and serial murders. Of the child molestations, 47% of the victims were Hispanic, 36% were Caucasian, 8% were Asian, 6% were African American, and 3% were other nationalities. In most instances, the offenders were familiar with their victims. In fact, 82% of the victims were known to their attackers. The other 18% were molested by strangers. In those instances, the illegal immigrants typically gained access to the victims after having worked as a day laborer at or near the victims’ homes. Victims ranged in age from 1 year old to 13 years old, with the average age being 6.

In rape cases, the offenders were less likely to know their victims. Only 64% of the victims knew their attackers. Furthermore, rape victims proved to be more diverse than child molestation victims. Hispanic and Caucasian victims were identical at 35% each.

The next most likely victims were African American women, and other nationalities comprised the remainder. These women suffered brutal attacks. Commonly, a weapon was used to control the victims. These weapons were most often sharp instruments. And the victims were beaten during the rapes over 70% of the time. Offenders engaged in sodomy in 67% of the attacks, and gang rape took place in .007% of the cases. Rape victims ranged in age from 16-79 and averaged age 23.

Serial rapists accounted for 3% of all illegal immigrant rapists. Each serial rapist averaged 5 victims, with the number of victims ranging from 2 to 11. Two serial rapists were confirmed HIV positive, and another offender had a venereal disease.

The murders were the worst of the sex crimes and were especially vicious. The most common method was for an offender to break into a residence and ambush his victims. Not only were victims raped, but some (6%) were mutilated. The crime scenes were very bloody, expressing intense, angry perpetrator personalities. Specifically, most victims were blitzed, rendered incapable of fighting back, and then raped and murdered. The most common method of killing was bludgeoning, followed by stabbing. Caucasians were more likely to become victims of sexual homicide committed by illegal immigrants. Hispanics were second, and African Americans were third. Victims of sexual homicides averaged age 42. However, victims ranged in age from 16-81.

Serial killers accounted for .005% of the sex crimes. The serial killers averaged 9 victims per offender. Victim choice centered on victims the offenders did not know. Each serial killer targeted men and women, but females were higher, making up 73%. Illegal immigrant serial killers were more likely to strike in the West and the Southern United States.

Victim socioeconomic status changed for each type of crime. Those who fell victim to child molestation tended to be from a lower socioeconomic status than those who were raped and those who were raped and murdered. In fact, 57% of those rape/murdered were from the upper middle class.

There was an especially disturbing finding that in 22% of all sex crimes committed by illegal immigrants, victims with physical and mental disabilities were targeted. These disabled victims were each under age 18. In those cases, the perpetrators knew their victims.

Offenders:
The average age of illegal immigrants who were sex offenders was 27, but they ranged in age from 16-69. Child molesters tended to be older, averaging age 32. The average age of rapists was 26, and murderers averaged age 28. There is a trend that these offenders are becoming younger. For example, in 2006, the average age of sex offender illegal immigrants was 20. The highest number came from Mexico. El Salvador was the original home to the next highest number of sexual offenders. Other countries of origin included: Brazil, China, Ecuador, Guatemala, Honduras, Jamaica, Nicaragua, Puerto Rico*, Russia, and Vietnam.

They averaged 4 victims per offender. Nearly 63% had been deported on another offense prior to the sex crime. There was an average of 3 years of committing crimes such as DUI, assaults, or drug related offenses prior to being apprehended for a sexual offense.

Alcohol and drug use seemingly played a large role in these crimes. In fact, 81% of offenders were drinking or using drugs prior to offending. Rapists and killers were more likely to use alcohol and drugs consistently than child molesters.

Offenders had the use of a vehicle in 78% of the cases. However, the vehicles were only owned by those offenders 54% of the time. In the other instances, the offenders either borrowed or stole the vehicle.

Many offenders were unkempt in appearance and worked with their hands. They were transient in that they went where work took them. Therefore, only 25% were stable within a community. Further, in 31% of the crimes, the offenders entered into the communities where they offended within 2 months of the commission of their sex offenses. However, many, 79%, had been in the U.S. for more than one year before being arrested for a sex crime, and they were typically known to the Criminal Justice system for prior, less serious offenses before they molested, raped, or murdered.

There was a trend to be single while offending, as only 23% were married at the time of their crimes. Most were known to date quite a bit and have derogatory views of females. Domestic violence was common as well, as nearly half of those with spouses or significant others had a history of domestic abuse.

Nearly 35% were considered religious and even more, 59% had been raised in a religious home. Their work consisted of manual labor in industries such as agriculture, construction, restaurant, and tourism. Residences were rented and usually shared with several other illegal immigrants. Many were partially bi-lingual with a preference for their native languages.

Education levels were typically low. Only 22% had graduated high school. As such, there was a pattern of irresponsible, impulsive behavior in offender backgrounds. Solutions to their problems entailed moving, i.e. running away. Most simply ran to the southern U.S. border after being connected with their sex offenses.

Conclusions:
Illegal immigrants who commit sex crimes first cross the U.S. border illegally. Then they gradually commit worse crimes and are continually released back into society or deported. Those who were deported simply returned illegally again. Only 2% of the offenders in this study has no history of criminal behavior, beyond crossing the border illegally. There is a clear pattern of criminal escalation. From misdemeanors such as assault or DUI, to drug offenses, illegal immigrants who commit sex crimes break U.S. laws repeatedly. They are highly mobile, work in low skilled jobs with their hands, use drugs and alcohol, are generally promiscuous, have little family stability, and choose victims who are easy to attack. Their attacks are particularly brutal, and they use a hands-on method of controlling and/or killing their victims.