Behind the scenes with two of the most respected forensic profilers
Robbie Coltrane’s character in Cracker was a hard-talking, hard-interviewing psychologist who cracked cases – and suspects – when police had long since given up. In reality, police forces are now turning to just such psychiatrists and psychologists to help them solve murders. They tell the police who to look for, and how to look for them. They tell the police who not to pursue and once suspects are arrested they even devise detectives’ interview strategies and listen in as suspects are questioned. But this reliance is increasingly in question. There have been high profile failures where police faith in offender profiling became dangerous police dependence.
The Real Cracker goes behind the scenes with two of Britain’s most respected forensic profilers, Dr Julian Boon and Dr Richard Badcock, and watches as they work their way through 50 of Britian’s most notorious criminal cases – from visiting the scene of the crime to picking out potential suspects. But are they a help or a hindrance?
