Cet article proposera un modèle illustratif envisageant la dynamique des actes sériels violents et posera l’hypothèse de l’intrication entre ceux-ci, la personnalité des sujets et les mécanismes à l’œuvre dans le processus identificatoire. Nous nous appuierons sur le paradigme de la « Mélancolie », en ce qu’elle nous renseigne sur le processus identificatoire « en négatif » et la relation objectale, afin d’éclairer les dynamiques pouvant être à l’œuvre lors d’agressions sérielles sous-tendues par une dimension psychopathique de la personnalité. Les difficultés rencontrées pour obtenir des données exploitables dans ce champ de recherche en France déterminèrent la forme de ce travail, principalement théorique, illustré par le biais de quelques vignettes cliniques de sujets rencontrés au cours de notre pratique clinique et expertale.

This paper intended to offer a theoretical model about the psychodynamic at stake during serial sexual offenses. We first focused our attention on a marginal violent act, cannibalism, in order to highlight some aspects of the identifying process at work within it. As put by Meloy, the act would look like a primitive psychotic attempt to “master” internalization failures at early stage of the psychological development. We then, extended our hypothesis to sexual serial acts, as we think that it is not an ingested body part, but the internalization of the interaction between the offender and the victim that truly matters, a narcissistic triumph felt by the offender that would provide a sense of completeness.

Due to considerable difficulties in accessing those kinds of data in France, we could not develop an empirical study based on enough patients to be a scientifically valid model. Our model will thus be a theoretical and illustrative one, with case studies of individuals met throughout our clinical and forensic experience.

The melancholia paradigm was used to illustrate the identifying process, and we made a parallel with antisocial behaviors found in psychopathy, the latter being characterized by a failure of internalizations, and use of violent acting outs. Those violent behaviors could be seen as a way to stem a psychotic breakdown and preserve the Grandiose-Self structure of personality. Where the melancholic would take his ego as an object dedicated to be sacrificed in order to preserve the environment of a catastrophe, the “psychopathic” individual would use a self-object within the environment as a sacrifice to preserve his own Grandiosity.

This model will serve as an illustrative way of thinking the quality of the interaction that happens during sexual serial offenses. Further researches are needed in this field in France.