Can You Recognize a Maniac?

Already in the 18th century the portrait of a typical criminal was developed by Italian researcher Lombroso
In the 18th century Italian Cesare Lombroso developed a theory according to which criminal inclination of people can be determined from their appearances. The Lombroso theory was further successfully developed by the science called phrenology. Nowadays, phrenologists are trying to classify villains by the shape of their skulls and the number of lumps on them. Modern microbiologists and geneticists allegedly found the gene for criminality.

Cesare Lombroso touched many skulls of villains; he studied hundreds of faces belonging to bandits and observed the life at police stations. As a result of his studies Lombroso determined the classical type of a criminal: abnormally protruding forehead, clearly cut superciliary arches, severe look, protruding eyes, unbelievably sticking out ears, curved lips and flat chin. The slightly primitive and outdated classification developed by Lombroso applies to majority of present-day cool guys and criminals. Indeed, have you ever seen a mafia guy in glasses, with whiskers or with a book in his hands?

The criminality gene is also not quite correct. In fact it happens sometimes that decent people come from families where both parents are drunkards.

On the contrary, it has become the rule already that criminals come from intellectual families where children have every opportunity to study music and enter prestigious educational institutions. Such people do commit crimes, sometimes even just for fun. Unfortunately, not all of them are subject to criminal responsibility. How does the criminality gene appear in respectable families?

British physiologist Adrian Ryan studied the frontal part of the brain (the one that immediately follows the forehead) for several years. Recently the scientist has arrived at wonderful conclusions. He says that this very part of the brain is responsible for the level of aggressiveness, for the sense of guilt, for shame and confusion. The British researcher used super modern equipment to scan the skulls of two groups of people. The first group consisted of violators and killers. The second one comprised drug addicts and alcoholics. The results of the experiment were shocking!

As it turned out the volume of the grey substance in the frontal brain part of murderers is 11 per cent lower than with normal people. The contents of grey substance with drug addicts and alcoholics are 13 per cent higher than with normal people! What does it mean? In fact, the inclination to criminal pathology may arise not only as a result of the environment influence. It is a never-ending dispute what is the main factor making people criminals, drug addicts and alcoholics: family, school or the street. As it turns out, almost everything is already predetermined when a baby is born.

Majority of villains in Russia's republic of Udmurtia are serial killers, maniacs and rapists; their types agree with the Lombroso theory and with the science phrenology. A particular bandit life forms the appearance and puts an indelible seal on people. An extremely dangerous recidivist stands out against the background of bank clerks but he won't be distinguished among wood-cutters because of the specific work. Many among the police sometimes look like criminals themselves.
 
However, there are criminals who look like intellectuals or even angels. The looks of one criminal in the city of Izhevsk disagrees with the Lombroso theory; however the guy cut off heads of two strong men and nearly beheaded the third one.

Russia is the country of paradoxes. Today a law can be passed here on obligatory scanning of human skulls, but tomorrow may be a day of absolute amnesty for the most notorious criminals. It is impossible to apply a scientific civilized method for fighting the Russian criminality because it disagrees with all scientific laws and regulations.  

We have no resources and time to fight with the organized crime, not to mention some separate maniac. If some Jack the Ripper appears in a Russian city, under the present-day disorder in the country he will be paid due attention in a couple of years at best. In fact, the number of people found dead all about Russia is considerable now. Do you think that criminal investigations are started in connection with every dead person? Certainly, not. 

Sergey Makarov
Sovershenno Konkretno (Izhevsk)