ABOUT 80 per cent of rapists had committed more than one crime before the rape attack, a symposium on rape and sexual assault was told at the weekend.
In a paper entitled Profiling the Rapist, Ms Anne Davies, a former "forensic scientist now attached to the British Home Office, said that offender profiling, detective skills, behavioural science and statistical analysis were used by modern police forces in attempting to combat rape and bring offenders to justice.
Having examined 470 rape cases in Britain, Ms Davies added, it was found that while most rapists were younger men, in one case a 60 year old man was convicted.
Ms Davies said that in the cases studied 16 per cent of rapists had no previous convictions; 3 per cent had committed a previous sexual crime; 29 per cent had committed sexual and other crimes; and 52 per cent were involved in non sexual crimes.
It was found that 21 per cent of rapists lived in privately-owned homes; 51 per cent were in rented accommodation; 9 per cent were living in hostels, and in many cases were just out of prison; and 19 per cent had no fixed abode.
"There is a definite link between rape and the type of housing in which the rapist lives. "This means that if we can identify the likely living pattern of the rapist, we can help the police enormously by disqualifying a lot of people from the investigation," she said. The majority of rapists were unemployed or working in low or non skilled unskilled employment.
Ms Davies said the British study had shown that those most likely to be victims were prostitutes and promiscuous homosexuals, who were seen as deserving their fate. In general there was an increased risk to women when they had taken too much drink; if they suffered mental illness or low self esteem; if they were very, young or old or living in poor city areas; if they walked in lonely areas alone; if they were careless about calling mini cabs or home security; or if they were working as an au pair.
It was unfortunate, but true, she added, that a victim stood a better chance of securing a conviction if she was sexually inexperienced; if she was respectable and did not know her assailant; if she had not gone with him willingly; if she fought back and had been hurt and if she reported the rape promptly.
This had more to do with society's perception of women than the crime of rape itself, Ms Davies said. Victims could face the prospect of being "shredded" and "taken apart" by the defence counsel in court.
The pathway to rape was often "flashing" and "peeping" during the early years and later difficulties with teenage sexuality. Some rapists, Ms Davies went on, were more interested in domination and inflicting physical and verbal cruelty on their victims than in the sexual act itself.
These were also traits of the serial rapist. Such attackers were also potential murderers.
Ms Davies said that collateral evidence was also vital in helping the police to understand the rapist's mind set - such as erotica kept in his home; police zines dealing with rape; books on psychology, diaries, maps, etc.
Ms Davies said that a third of victims were approached within one mile of their homes and three quarters of victims were within five miles radius.