Caractéristiques sociodémographiques, psychopathologiques et criminologiques de femmes auteurs d’infraction sexuelle

Abstract

Introduction

Since 2000, the phenomenon of female sexual offenders has been more and more studied in many countries, although it has been minimized for a long time. This population seems to present specific characteristics, different from those of male sexual offenders.

Objectives

Studying sociodemographic, psychopathological and criminological characteristics of a French population of female sexual offenders.

Material and methods

This study is descriptive and retrospective. The first author collected data from a database made of 30 years of psychiatric assessments written by the second author for French courts. The material was created in order to respond to court's questions. The inclusion criteria was being a female sexual offender, according to a wide definition of sexual offending, including rapes, sexual assaults, sexual harassment, corruption of a minor, pimping, exhibitionism. No exclusion criteria were defined. The assessments could be made for pre-trial evaluation of the women or for post-trial evaluation during custody. The data were then collected thanks to a systematic analysis of listed sociodemographic characteristics, psychopathological characteristics and criminological characteristics. Sociodemographic characteristics included: age when the assessment was made and when the offending occurred, year of the assessment, date and place of birth, living department, sentence, level of education, working status, marital status, motherhood, number of children, separation of parents, relationship with the father during childhood, relationship with the mother during childhood, physical, emotional or sexual violence incurred during childhood, life-time history of sexual abuse. Psychopathological characteristics were composed of medical, chirurgical, gynaecological and psychiatric history. The psychiatric history was made of: outpatient follow-up, hospitalization, medical treatment, suicidal, addictive comorbidities, legal protection, allowance for adult disabilities. Criminological characteristics encompass the number of victims, their age, their gender, their link with the female sexual offender, the frequency of the assault, the presence of a co-offender, the level of implication of the female sexual offender. Expert's conclusions included presence of an acute mental trouble, accessibility to a sentence, abolished or altered discernment when it comes to pre-trail assessments. Post-trial assessment examined the presence of an acute mental trouble, implemented cares during custody, evolution of personality, recidivism risk, opportunity of a medial treatment order. Thirty-one cases of female sexual offenders were collected, 16 pre-trial assessment and 16 post-trial ones. Quantitative data were analysed by mean, minimum and maximum. Qualitative data were analysed by and percentage. Association between two qualitative data was led by Fisher exact test. Names were systematically removed from files.

Results

The mean age of those 31 women is 37-years-old at expertise time and their educational level is low. Most of them are married, and have children (77.4%). They often describe a history of break-up and lack of stability as well as childhood violence or negligence (65.2%). An important number of those women has suffered or still suffers from psychiatric trouble, mostly mood disorders or personality disorder such as dependant personality (12.9% and 48.4%) or cluster-B personalities (32.3%). Yet, those troubles seldom led to an abolishment of discernment (12.5%). Altered discernment concerned more of these women (18.8%). Most of the time, their victims are juveniles and often are one of their children (67.7%). They often acted with a co-offender (57.1%), generally their husband or boyfriend (80%). The incarcerated women have been judged for numerous types of sexual infraction. Psychological and psychiatric cares have been implemented for all of them during their incarceration. A medical treatment order was recommended by the psychiatric expert most of the time in order to consolidate this work (68.8 %).

Conclusion

This study raises the same specificities of this population as those found in other past studies, and highlights the important prevalence of chaotic, non-structuring or even traumatic life-pathways within this population.