The case of Joanne Dennehy, who admitted to stabbing three men to death, has highlighted the rarity of female serial killers in Britain. Criminologist Prof David Wilson describes murder as a 'man's business', noting that over 90% of murder convictions in England and Wales between 2002 and 2012 were men.
When women do kill, they tend to target family members and use methods such as smothering, strangling or poisoning, rather than stabbing. Forensic psychologist Kerry Daynes says women are more 'practical and clean' in their killings, using only enough violence to achieve the end result.
Experts suggest that women who commit multiple murders often have a history of childhood abuse or trauma. Daynes notes that female serial killers typically have a relationship with their victims, such as lovers or children, and often kill in familiar settings like home or work.
Cases like Beverly Allitt, who killed children while working as a nurse, exemplify the 'Angel of Death' type. Daynes explains that women may derive affirmation from caring roles, which can be exploited in such cases.
Lone female killers are rare; women more often kill as part of a couple, as seen with Rose West and Myra Hindley. In Dennehy's case, a consultant forensic psychiatrist diagnosed her with paraphilia sadomasochism, where sexual excitement comes from inflicting pain.
