Case Study for Ivan Milat explaining genetic and biological factors contributing to crimes PDF

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The biological and genetic factors of Ivan Milat are explored to demonstrate his causation for his crimes...

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C3344415

Grace Gilbert

CRIM1010: Introduction to Criminology

Case Study – Milat Murders DUE DATE: 26/06/20 WORD COUNT: 1030

Campus: Callaghan Lecturer: Xanthe Mallet

Ivan Milat was an infamous Australian predator. His criminal accusations included abduction, sexual assault, and attempted murder. Milat became widely known as the backpacker murderer after being sentenced in 1996 for the murder of seven backpackers in Belanglo State Forest which he received seven life sentences for. (Mallett, 2019:146) The behavioural traits and the execution of the murders established the offender’s personality as a hedonistic, narcissistic psychopath. Biological theories of crime causation endorse the notion that criminals are born and not made. Biological positivism establishes that behavioural tendencies are influenced by genetic factors and chemical imbalances beyond the offender’s control. Further enhancements of early theories of Cesare Lombroso, Enrico Ferri and Raffaele Garofalo developed the modern focus and measurement of biological factors such as biochemical and neurophysiological conditions, genetic inheritance, and intelligence as direct influences on behavioural tendencies. (Burke, 2009:65-68) Thus, explaining the link between an individual's genetic and biological differences and the causation of criminal behaviours.

Psychopathy is a mental condition that is characterized by traits of persistent antisocial behaviour. The disorder is associated with underlying neurobiological dysfunctions and genetics. The regions of affected brain activity within psychopaths impede on morality, perspectives of rewards and emotional processing, (Bonn, 2017) influencing behavioural instincts that cultivate remorselessness, shallow emotions, failure to accept responsibility for their actions, lack of consideration of others wellbeing and impulsivity. (DeLisi, 2009:257) The violent and malicious nature of the decapitation of Anja Habschied mimics impulsive and stimulation seeking actions, (DeLisi 2009:257) that illustrate a cold minded killer who dissociates emotions of guilt and remorse and centralizes their own satisfaction and enjoyment as the main motivation. Early examples of Milat’s psychopathic behaviours were displayed through his pastimes of killing foxes by cutting them in half with a machete for enjoyment. (Pennells, 2019) A study completed by Ressler et al (1998) linked animal cruelty and later involvement in serial murder. The study contained 36 murderers, of such, 36% had engaged in animal cruelty as children, 46% were cruel as adolescents and 36% continued their abuse toward animals into adulthood. (Wright, Hensley, 2003:74) Milat’s displayed cruelty to animals as a child and later escalation into harming humans. Multiple gunshot and stab wounds often leading to paralysation provide connections of his violent behaviours to a biochemical imbalance that does not register his actions as cruel, horrific, harmful, and morally wrong due to biological factors that impede his emotional processing. As

psychopaths have problems with the anterior insular cortex, the region of the brain that is often associated with empathy, (Freeman, 2013) Milat’s complete disregard for human emotion and focus on his personal motivations links his behaviours to that of psychopathic origins. The premeditation of the crimes evident through the offender bringing weapons and ties establishes that the crime was not built upon by pure impulse or anger but planned before picking up the victim. (Mallett 2019:52) The murders were planned and purposeful and not committed out of high emotionality. (Freeman, 2013) This justifies that Milat’s processes were influenced by psychopathic traits and biochemical imbalances as he did not understand the immoral aspects before participating in the crime. The behavioural tendencies illustrated within the crime scenes depict a thorough connection between the actions of Milat and a psychopathic personality encouraging them.

Classic motivations of serial killers is to dominate and control their victims to gain a sense of power and pleasure. Psychopathic individuals are guided by their individual psychology and unknowingly leave idiosyncratic evidence at the crime scene which can be linked to the causation and motives behind the crime, becoming their modus operandi. (LaBrode, 2007:158) Victim selection within the murders suggests power driven motives and the desire for control as Milat preyed on young backpackers aged 19 to 22 (Mallett, 2019:152) whose isolation would make it difficult to pinpoint a specific time or location of disappearance. Psychopathic serial killers often display more violence within their crimes compared to non-psychopathic serial killers as they maintain a more direct approach toward a certain goal and therefore the desperation and violence of the murder is enhanced. (Bronn, 2017) Similarities within the crime scenes illustrate an inflated sense of self-importance and pursuit of pleasure directed toward goals of power and control. Evidence of fires, cigarette butts and cans combined with the minimal efforts to hide the bodies suggests that Milat revisited the crime scenes to relive the pleasure of the crime. (Mallett, 2019:153) Negative reinforcement has little effect on psychopathic individuals as they lack aversive responses in the amygdala and prefrontal cortex to antisocial stimuli, therefore continuing their unempathetic behaviour. (LaBrode, 2007:153) This biological impairment can be linked to Milat’s malicious nature and sadistic enjoyment in causing suffering in his victims. (Mallett, 2019:181) By prolonging the murders and revisiting the victims Milat’s incapacity to register the distress of an individual is illustrated as he is unable to establish the behaviours as morally wrong. (LaBrode, 2007:153) Milat collected material trophies from his victims,

(Mallett 2019:157) that triggered continued pleasure from the initial act. This illustrates the sadistic and hedonistic aspect of Milat’s personality. Milat’s motivations and processes throughout his criminal career are heavily associated with psychopathic personality traits that demonstrate the need for power, control, and pleasure. His incapacity to register behaviours of murder, sexual assault and abduction as wrong are heavily linked to impairments within regions of the brain associated with behavioural learning, emotional responses, and perceptions of what was right and wrong. These impairments demonstrate a biological impairment encouraging his psychopathic behaviour.

Crime causation can often be linked to biological impairments. Ivan Milat’s actions and choices within the Milat murders reflect psychological aspects of psychopathic personality traits. Through a biological positivist lens, the Milat murders display a heavily disturbed, immoral, and selfish personality. Impairments within regions of the brain result in antisocial behaviours, disregard for human emotions and the inability to register distress as a negative response. Milat’s psychopathic behaviours of violence and disregard for human life combined with his excessive need for power and control, inflated importance of self and personal pleasure establish his criminal behaviour in respects to biological incapacities and imbalances. Biological impairments direct and motivate the behaviour of a psychopathic individual thus connecting crime causation to a biological influence.

References

Bonn, S. A., 2017. Why Psychopaths Can Be Effective Killers. [Online] Available at: https://www.psychologytoday.com/au/blog/wicked-deeds/201701/whypsychopaths-can-be-effective-killers Burke, R. H., 2009. Biological Positivism. In: An Introduction to Criminological Theory. 3 ed. Cullompton: William Publishing, pp. 65-90. DeLisi, M., 2009. Psychpathy is the Unified Theory of Crime. Youth Violence and Juvenile Justice, 7(3), pp. 256-273. Freeman, R., 2013. What is Psychopathy?. [Online] Available at: https://neuroinstincts.com/psychopathy/ LaBrode, R. T., 2007. Etiology of the Psychopathic Serial Killer: An Analysis of Antisocial Personality Disorder, Psychopathy, and Serial Killer Personality and Crime Scene Characteristics. Brief Treatment and Crisis Intervention, 7(1), pp. 151-160. Mallett, X., 2019. Ivan Milat- Australia's Most Infamous Serial Killer. In: Cold Case Investigations. Sydney: Pan Macmillan Australia Pty Ltd, pp. 145-182. Pennells, S., 2019. Ivan Milat: Could Australia's Most Feared Serial Killer be Responsible For even More Murders?, s.l.: 7News. Wright, J. & Hensley, C., 2003. From Animal Cruelty to Serial Murder: Applying the Graduation Hypothesis. Offender Therapy and Comparitive Criminology, 47(1), pp. 71-88....