Psychoactive Substances, Sexual Assault, and Extreme Violence: A Content Analysis of Court Cases in Spain

• In Event: Sexual Assault Case Processing: Changes and Challenges

Abstract

This study presents key findings from legal-criminological research on the role of psychotropic substances, including benzodiazepines among others, in violent crime, with a specific focus on drug-facilitated sexual assaults (DFSA) and sexually motivated femicides. The research draws on a comprehensive content analysis of Spanish criminal court cases.The analysis reveals recurring patterns in DFSA, with a higher incidence among the youth population. It also shows how surreptitious drugging or the opportunistic use of victims’ chemical vulnerability not only facilitates sexual violence but can also intensify its severity. In extreme cases, this escalation results in fatal outcomes. These findings prompt discussion about the legal classification and sentencing of such crimes. Until the most recent criminal law reform in Spain, sexual assaults involving chemical submission were often considered less severe than those involving physical violence or intimidation. Furthermore, sexually motivated homicides characterized by extreme violence in contexts of submission or chemical vulnerability—particularly those linked to criminological profiles associated with high levels of sadism—may paradoxically fall outside the hyper-aggravated category of sexual murder. The implications of these issues are discussed as part of a broader criminological discussion.

Authors

• Pilar Tarancón Gómez, University of Castilla-La Mancha

• Nuria Romo Avilés, University of Granada