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Throughout history there have been occasional surges in crime and developments in types of crime which have produced changes in the direction of criminality and brought renewed public fascination in criminal activity. Sex crimes and serial killers are a more recent part of this development.

From the formation of cities and the most primitive of crimes like murder, robbery and imperial conquests, crime has become increasingly personal and more brutal in recent centuries. It's gradually shifted from the mass murder of civilisations under brutal leaders such as the Roman Emperors and Attila the Hun, to focus more on individual rebellion and revenge. This isn't to say that previous types of crimes don't exist - dictators still prey on their national populations and terrorists aim for maximum destruction on a large scale, but these also represent the increasing destructive nature of crime. Jack the Ripper symbolised something quite different.

By the end of the nineteenth century, British society was becoming increasingly prudish as sex became a taboo subject. Jack the Ripper's crimes stood out because they seemed to be purely sexual in nature, not for robbery or any other gain. This, coupled with their brutality, captured the imagination of the public and marked the start of a new era in the development of crime. The fact that Jack the Ripper was never caught and his identity has still never been proved, marks him out as an elusive, almost folklore hero, for some people: someone who has evaded capture. There's a kind of mysterious truth about the whole story.

Serial killers are also something relatively rare. The fact that there is someone who is able to kill numerous people is a fascinating psychological insight into humanity. The appeal is the dark, evil side of humanity; for some, even the acting out of the thoughts of the individual - the times we wish we could act as we wanted yet, even though the circumstances are extreme, someone like Jack the Ripper has been able to do it.

It's the complete disregard for morality and social norms which disgusts us but can also be appealing. How can someone be so depraved and yet appear so normal as most serial killers are? It's this flip between the normal and abnormal, the examination of the psychologically unknown, which is so appealing.

There's also the reassurance that the serial killer is psychologically abnormal which is so attractive. If the phenomenon was a weekly occurrence, it would probably soon become far less appealing and far more frightening. Yet the fact that it makes the rest of us appear so "normal" is also what makes it so captivating - a normal person like Jack the Ripper, the Yorkshire Ripper or Ted Bundy could live on our street. We could even catch them!

Horror films have preyed on this balance of fear and curiosity and the serial brings to life this terror and dread and yet a interest we find it difficult to pull away from. Maybe we're not so normal after all.

Learn more about this author, Ben Hughes.
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