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Introduction The backpacker murders were numerous incidents of serious killings that occurred in New South Wales between the years 1989 till 1993. All of these murders had been committed by a criminal named Ivan Milat. Investigators partially discovered the corpse of seven young individuals, who had been missing, aged 19 to 22 years. These bodies were buried 15 kilometres, southwest of New South Wales, in the Belanglo State Forest. According to sources two victims were Australian travellers who had come from Melbourne, with the remaining victims being backpackers having British and German decent (Fuqua, 2019). Milat had been charged with the killings in 1996, and was sentenced to 18 years imprisonment, in addition to seven consecutive life sentences. However, he died on October 27, 2019, in prison, and never confessed having committed the murders for which he had been convicted. Ivan Milat’s father was a Croatian immigrant and his mother was an Australian. He was the fifth born of his 14 siblings, and the local police new most of the boys ( Ishak, 2019). He was also sent to a juvenile detention centre at 17 years of age for theft, following which he was also associated with a short break at the age of 19. Soon after he received the sentence of three years for theft, and had also been charged with the rape and abduction of two hitchhikers (Gifford, 2019). This essay will provide an explanation for the criminal behaviour of Ivan, using the psychodynamic theory. Analysis As stated in the previous section, Ivan predominantly targeted the hitchhikers in Australia. There were particular similarities between all the murders (Shah, 2019). Each of the corpses were found deliberately placed face down, with the hands being present behind the back,

following which the corpses were covered with ferns and sticks that formed a pyramidal frame. Forensic determination suggested that each of the victims had suffered multiple stab injuries in their torso (Gerova, 2019). Additionally Ivan was found to have spent substantial amount of time with the victims, during and after the incidents, which was evident from the location of campsite nearby. However, while two of the victims had been stabbed, one had been shot innumerable times in the head, with others being decapitated or showed signs of severe beatings and strangulation. This gave rise to be speculations that Ivan was local to the region, which could be accredited to the extensive knowledge that the killer had about the Belanglo forest. According to research evidences, serial killing strikes extreme fear in majority of individuals (Smith, 2018). On evaluating the case study it can be suggested that there existed emotional development issue in Ivan, and he had be propensity of displaying his intelligence, which was considered to be above average by him. In other words, the killing incidents acted as a kind of motivation or reinforcement for him. Infancy has been identified as one of the most considerable stages of an adult personality. Serial killers such as Ivan are particularly found to make obvious their feelings and expression of oppression that they have been subjected to since childhood, in the form of murder events, which are brutal and ruthless (Willmott et al., 2018). There is a growing body of evidence for the fact that the initial 12 months are particularly crucial for the onset and development of emotions, which include affection and remorse (Guntrip, 2018). Under circumstances when children are not given sufficient attention, and do not experience adequate physical touch from the parents, they have been found to substantially suffer from personality disorders in adulthood. Analysis of the case scenario suggested that Ivan had 13 other siblings, which provides an indication of the lack of care and affection by his

parents. Taking into consideration the fact that infant bonding has been recognised noteworthy for personality development, it should be noted that failure to receive proper attention during the growing years, by his biological mother or father played a momentous role in the development of his personality (Francis, 2020). There is mounting evidence for the fact that apart from infancy, early childhood is also a crucial stage, and it substantially affects the thought process and behaviour of a serial killer (Bornstein et al., 2018). The major commonality amongst most of the serial killers is the fact that during their childhood they were typically isolated from their kin and peers (Zeiders & Devlin, 2019). This can be particularly associated to the fact that Ivan started demonstrating antisocial behaviour from childhood (McGowan, 2019). Therefore, his formative years and the social environment in which he resided increased his likelihood of causing alarm, distress or harm to individuals who were not of the same household. According to research evidences majority of the serial killers are clinical diagnosed with personality disorders that encompass histrionic, borderline, antisocial, or narcissist behaviour, by this means providing a likely explanation for Ivan’s initial participation in unlawful activities (Zeiders & Devlin, 2019). The psychodynamic theory also explains that during childhood majority of the serial killers are subject to discrimination and bullying that result in the onset of secretive destructive fantasies (Forslund & Granqvist, 2016). There was no definite information about any such incident in this case, it can be suggested that aggression during the early stages of childhood, and his loneliness, triggered aggressive fantasies, thereby increasing his likelihood of committing the serial killings. The theory typically describes a murderer as an individual who is guilt ridden from experiences of childhood, and thereby fails to enjoy sexual satisfaction at a later stage in adulthood (Barber & Solomonov, 2016). This can be particularly associated with the fact that

Ivan had been charged with abduction and rape of a hitchhiker during the early 70s, thus providing a likely explanation for belligerence towards his victims and the succeeding manifestation of criminal behaviour. Under particular circumstances when the serial killer had committed the murders of the hitchhikers, there no longer existed any feelings of him being inferior or inadequate; rather resulted in the onset of feelings of belonging and superiority. It has often been reported by researchers that for a serial killer who is organized, it is imperative to document a record the circumstances that took place, which would act in the form of a reminder of his action (Zepinic, 2018). In addition, the psychodynamic theory also elucidates that under majority of the situations, trophies are typically procured from the area of murder, which provide a sign of achievement, something that the serial killer is generally proud of. According to the theory, serial killers generally save their trophies, with the aim of remembering their kills, which in turn provides them the opportunity to relive their experiences of committing a murder (Beattie, 2019). On analysing the case study, this particular signature behaviour had been identified, of which the missing underwear of the victim Miss. Clarke from the crime scene was significant (Hockday, 2019). This helped in theorising that it had been taken away by Ivan as a trophy, of the crime that he had committed out of sheer pleasure. The psychodynamic theory can be further associated with the postulates of Sigmund Freud to explain the behaviour of Ivan Milat. This can be accredited to the fact that unconscious personality development during early childhood is responsible for typically influencing the manner, in which an individual would behave at a later stage in life. It elicits that when a child is subjected to traumatic circumstances, there are several negative experiences, which play the part of a residue and eventually result in a halt in human development personality (Haynes, 2017).

Thus, it can be assumed that Ivan might have been subjected to some disturbing experiences in his childhood, which played a significant role in the manifestation of maladaptive behaviour that eventually contributed to his recognition as a serial killer. Excerpts from news reports have often provided an indication for the fact that Ivan’s father had a violent disposition and his mother was frequently pregnant. This overcrowded family generally grew up in a shack that was located in the outskirts of Sydney ( Reddie, 2019). Therefore, the hatred that Ivan possessed for his victims can be traced back to the formative experience that he had faced during his childhood, and can also be associated to particular abuse that he or his mother might have been subjected to, due to the violent nature of his father. There is growing evidence for the fact that an individual resorts to committing crime upon displaying a weak ego (Reid et al., 2019). Research evidences elucidate that there are four main kinds of serial killers depending on the type of crime that they committed namely, mission oriented, thrill seekers, power control seekers, and visionary killer (Fox et al., 2018). On analysing the case study of Ivan, it can be assumed that he was a power control seeker. The psychodynamic theory can therefore be utilised to elucidate that Ivan was forcibly overwhelmed by his id that is commonly considered to be primitive in its nature, and predominantly governs the unconscious drive for sexual relationships. Taking into consideration the fact that a crime generally occurs when the ego of the individual is affected, by committing the murders of the hitchhikers, Ivan seemed to be expressing his experiences and feelings of oppression, during childhood, in the form of these brutal and sadist murders. Under most circumstances when the serial killers select their victims, the latter are marginalized, or belong to a section of a society, which is generally considered the periphery.

This suggests that they do not have much prominence of significance in the community (King et al., 2016). Therefore, under most conditions disappearance of such people belonging to the marginalized population do not possibly lead to an investigation, and little concern is shown by the

society

or

the

community. These

victims

typically

consist

of

drug

addicts,

homeless individuals, teenage runaways, and prostitutes. It was found that all victims of Ivan were aged 19-22 years, and were either travellers or backpackers. Backpacking at that time was considered as a marginal type of travel, and for the most part involved individual engaging in independent and low cost travel while residing in inexpensive lodgings, without any definite goal. Despite the fact that the Milat siblings had been enrolled in Catholic schools, they were always up to mischief, and were reported to handle firearms and knives, besides shooting their target in the yard of their parent’s house (Whittaker, 2019). On analysing the case scenario it was also found that Ivan demonstrated signs and symptoms of psychopathic behaviour, during his early stages. This can therefore be explained by the psychodynamic theory, which clarifies the fact that psychopathic behaviour is often correlated to the absence of a parent attachment that typically results in adults committing violent behaviour in latest stages (Cleary, 2016). A probable explanation for this psychopathic behaviour and Ivan’s association with serial murders is the fact that the super ego of the criminal did not develop in an appropriate manner, considering the fact that superego has been identified as principal driving force for the conscious mind (Zepinic, 2018). Time and again it has been found that superego fails to be moralistic, to id and ego, under situations when the former has been corrupted from infancy for childhood (Taylor, 2018). Since, Ivan had begun to engage in violent and illegal behaviour during his early years, which can be

associated to his dysfunctional family and violence in abuse at home, the super ego might have governed him to display his hatred towards the hitchhikers, which in turn was exhibited by the way in which the crimes had been committed. It is generally believed that serial killers most commonly report a history of aggression against the community and the authorities (Zepinic, 2018). It was particularly true in this case, since he had earlier been charged with molesting two female backpackers, and had also been sentenced to prison on several instances. Therefore, it can be suggested that, his dissent and hostility towards the law most often governed his super ego that made him commit the crimes (Reddie, 2019). This in turn can be accredited to his obsession with guns, which provides an indication for the fact that there existed an imbalance between the rational and instinctual drives of his brain, which typically mediated his criminality. In other words, by utilising the theory it can be suggested that criminality of Ivan of was largely a direct consequence of the failure of a super ego, as a direct consequence of the failure to develop a healthy attachment to his parents in early childhood. Therefore, a comprehensive and thorough analysis of the case study suggests that the dysfunctional family, violent behaviour of his father, and socio-economic conditions, in which they lived typically characterized Ivan’s persistent antisocial behaviour, and also resulted in the onset of impaired empathy. This eventually triggered the display of egotistical traits in adulthood that subsequently resulted in the serial killings. Psychodynamic theory also takes into consideration the fact that several serial killers have reported a persistent hatred towards women, and have resorted to dealing with victims, who are weaker and naïve, thereby making the killer feel superior (Forslund & Granqvist, 2016). The theory also explains that a murderer is most commonly described as an individual, who is guilt ridden beginning from childhood, and

therefore fails to appropriately enjoy all perceive sexual satisfaction at a later stage in adult life (Guntrip, 2018). This event generally influences the mind of the killer to inflict suffering and pain on the weaker victims. It can be particularly associated to the fact that even though Ivan was married to a girl who was 15 years younger to him, their marriage was unsuccessful, and Ivan had burned down the home of her parents in New Castle. Testimony from his previous wife about his obsession with guns and violent behaviour also provides a justification for the lack of sexual satisfaction in his married life, which might have forced him to rape his victims, prior to killing them, with the aim of establishing his dominance. Conclusion Thus, it can be concluded that the serial backpacker murders had put the entire nation on an edge, and piles of corpses had been found scattered throughout the Belanglo forest. Upon conducting autopsies, the investigators found that all the seven victims had been subjected to brutal torture, before being mercilessly killed and buried in the forest. On observing the brutality of the murders, the police decided to investigate thoroughly, and came across Ivan Milat who was convicted in the year 1996. A detailed analysis of the psychodynamic theory provided an indication of the fact that there was an association between the social circumstances in which he was born, with his deviant or criminal behaviour. Apart from the lack of attachment with his parents particularly his mother, the dysfunctional family and violent behaviour displayed by his father was a contributing factors to his criminal behaviour. On valuating his childhood circumstances, it can be referred that during infancy and childhood Ivan did not obtain appropriate care. This can be particularly accredited to the fact that he had several siblings, which prevented his mother from devoting adequate time in looking after each. The fundamentals of the psychodynamic theory are focused on the three components of id, ego and

super ego, and the serial killings can be cited as a weakness of his ego. There existed an imbalance between all the aforementioned unconscious actions that eventually resulted in the onset and development of his criminal instincts, and made Ivan commit the crimes. However, there still remains a debate if Ivan had an accomplice, since he did not confess to having to do anything with the murders.

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