THEINADEQUACYOF PENAL TREATMENT FOR SERIAL KILLERS IN BRAZIL

Abstract

One of the great challenges for Criminal Law is not only to penalize but also to reintegrate serial killers into society. Characterized as people who commit serial homicides, these individuals have the particularity of being unable to reintegrate into society and not commit more crimes. This study aimed to address the classification, concept, legislation and information regarding serial killers. With this, the Brazilian legal system and its treatment of serial killers were analyzed, as well as their imputability according to the panorama of criminal and procedural application, their repercussions, and the possible improvements that current legislation could make in order to become more effective in dealing with cases related to these individuals. In the methodological field, a bibliographic review was carried out, based on scientific articles, books, periodicals, case law and current legislation on the respective subject. Data collection was carried out using databases such as Scielo, Google Scholar, among others, from 2019 to 2024. The results clearly revealed a legal gap regarding the legal treatment given to serial killers. The lack of specific rules on combating, monitoring, and treating serial killer cases can make society more vulnerable to these crimes in several ways. The lack of clear regulations makes it difficult to prevent, detect, and effectively punish these criminals, in addition to affecting support for victims and their families.