Demonology in criminology

Demonology in criminology

crime demonology, demonological theory of crime causation, forensic demonology

There are many myths, stories and legends that we know about. They may be the product of our imagination or be well crafted by our creative mind. Or maybe not? Demonology is a very old discipline which developed it self out of theology. Existence of demons (evil beings) only confirms a fact that God exists.

Demonology is unfortunately a borderline science. This essentially means that modern science will never accept any explanation that involves non-material or spiritual forms of evidence. Officially, any crime that involves demonic possessions may be qualified as an insanity. Psychiatrists are those who at a request of  the Court make a diagnosis and prognosis about a persons sanity or insanity. Modern science tends to rationally and materially explains connections of crime and demonic possessions. Main reasons are lawmaker requests for a legal form of evidence. Evidence can be statements of witnesses, victims or perpetrators. Those statements get theirs form of evidence in court records and usually are backed by consistencies with material and circumstantial evidence or facts as well as with high credibility of persons who gave those statements.

The relation between science and demonology is best described as a "hot ice." Ice can't be hot, and science can't accept spiritual explanations.


Many police officers and crime investigators may have encountered perpetrators who have claimed that they committed their crimes under some demonic influences. Perpetrators may claim, but none of them produced  any physical evidence. It is very odd to have two accepted scientific disciplines like theology and forensic sciences claiming the opposite.

Looking not very far into history we should take a better look at a Roman and  later perfected Spanish inquisition. Roman inquisition was established in 1232 by the Pope, and the main task of the inquisition was to rout out heresy. Some of the most advanced medieval thinkers have found out that they can use inquisition to acquire lands of their adversaries, friends or neighbors. Inquisition was very unfair in terms of judicial proceedings. People who were under suspicion had an obligation to produce evidence and here was a possibility to indefinitely leave them under suspicion. This means that besides of "guilty"or "not guilty"sentences, guilty"sentences there was a possibility to stop individual inquisition proceeding. A person wouldn't know when the inquisition would start again.

Criminology as a science looks out on these matters from a cultural and a legal perspective. The legal perspective includes forensic psychiatry and psychology, while the cultural perspective includes systems of values of some ethnic group or nation. For an example, there are still some ritual practices among  the tribes on the African continent that allow throwing of the first born male children to the pigs. Looking on it from our perspective, this is naturally a crime, but among those tribes this is a tradition. Systems of values are also different in organizations like Cosa Nostra, narcotic cartels or other criminal organizations. While some behaviors are desirable in that kind of organization, they are banned or marked red by a "normal society."

Criminology as a science was established at second half of 19th century. However, interest to research crime existed in earlier times of history. Until criminology became an autonomous science, crime was researched from the theological, metaphysical, legal (nomotechnical), sociological, psychological, anthropological, psychiatric (medical)or biological standpoint. Development of criminology theory starts with demonology around 5500 BC. According to some theorists, the first school of criminology was the demonological school of criminology.

"People commit crimes under demonic or evil influences."

Demonological explanation of crime was based on the mixture of common logic and religious beliefs. Similar attempts to explain human behavior were made by astrologists. Development of astrology starts around 3500 BC. The positions of heavenly bodies such as constellations and planets affect human behavior. In 13th century theology attempted to explain crime in similar fashion as demonology did before the theology. Introduction of the inquisition enabled clerics to be investigators, prosecutors and judges at a same time.