Title: Changing Perceptions of Serial Murder in Contemporary England
Abstract:During the 1980's, it was frequently suggested that Great Britain was experiencing a novel and wide-ranging prob lem of serial murder. This article uses a long term historical approach to challenge th...During the 1980's, it was frequently suggested that Great Britain was experiencing a novel and wide-ranging prob lem of serial murder. This article uses a long term historical approach to challenge the essential idea of a genuine upsurge of such activity. The change was one of perception rather than reality, but even so it had important consequences for reactions to violent crime by both law enforcement and the media. Linkages between indi vidual cases were now more likely to be suggested, and the police were more likely to postulate the existence of unknown serial killers. This trend will be examined with special reference to three major cases of the mid-1980's: the "Railway Murders", and two probable series of child killings originally investigated under the general title of "Operation Stranger". The origins of the new attitude to multiple homicide will be sought both in American influences and contacts, and in the internal politics of the British police. Issues of national policing and centralized intelligence gathering will be emphasized.Read More
Publication Year: 1991
Publication Date: 1991-12-01
Language: en
Type: article
Indexed In: ['crossref']
Access and Citation
Cited By Count: 2
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