Assailants' Sexual Dysfunction during Rape Reported by Their Victims

Abstract

Sexual dysfunction is known to occur in a proportion of rapists during the assault. The most common dysfunctions are erectile insufficiency and absent or retarded ejaculation. The study assessed the incidence and characteristics of assailants' sexual dysfunction reported by 50 victims of rape 20% of victims reported that their assailant experienced erectile insufficiency at some point during the assault, and a further 12% reported retarded ejaculation or failure to ejaculate by their attacker. In attacks where sexual dysfunction occurred, there was a higher incidence both of intra-rape violence and commissioning of degrading sexual activity and this behaviour was related to the onset of the dysfunction. It was felt that the pattern of behaviour reported in those attacks where rapists' sexual dysfunction occurred might reflect a typologically distinct subgroup of offender. This finding has implications both for the safety of the victim during the attack and subsequent offender assessment.