Victims of serial homicides: a systematic review of inequalities in institutional recognition and response

Abstract

Recognition of serial homicide victims presents victimological and institutional challenges involving the identification, linkage, and clearance of cases. This study aimed to examine evidence concerning these processes and potential differences in institutional responses according to victim characteristics. An exploratory search and narrative synthesis were conducted using publications retrieved from editorial sources, bibliographic records, and public repositories. Directly relevant studies, complementary research, and conceptual contributions were distinguished. The twenty references examined did not constitute a definitive systematic corpus because reproducible selection procedures and formal risk-of-bias assessments were lacking. Relevant evidence identified fragmented information, coordination failures, investigative limitations, and disregarded warnings, particularly in healthcare settings. Some studies associated series duration with victim characteristics without directly assessing police actions. Complementary literature reported disparities in general homicide clearance, although certain missing-person studies found no independent effect of ethnicity on risk assessment. Methodological heterogeneity precluded pooled estimates and causal inferences. Institutional barriers were therefore documented, but the evidence remains insufficient to attribute the persistence of serial homicide causally to structural inequalities. Rigorous comparative studies integrating victim characteristics, institutional decisions, and response times, together with a transparent and reproducible systematic review, are needed to establish the scope and certainty of future conclusions and inform investigative practice.