The Problem of Multidisciplinary Interaction in the Investigation of Serial Crimes Against Personality

The key problem in the investigation of serial crimes against personality is the destructive
fragmentation and the lack of effective multidisciplinary interaction between investigation subjects,
forensic experts, and practicing psychologists (profilers). The existing methodological gap leads to an
underestimation of the behavioral and psychological traces of the crime, which are often perceived by
investigators as secondary compared to the traditional physical evidence base (DNA, fingerprinting,
ballistics). This creates a "tunnel vision" phenomenon among investigative teams, delays the
establishment of the serial nature of crimes, limits the analytical potential of expert opinions, and, as a
result, allows serial offenders to evade justice for years, increasing the number of victims.
The purpose of the article is a comprehensive theoretical and methodological analysis of
barriers to multidisciplinary interaction in the investigation of serial crimes against personality,
identification of systemic defects in communication between investigative, forensic, and psychological
institutions, as well as the development of a scientifically grounded model for integrating behavioral
analysis into traditional investigation algorithms. Particular attention is paid to creating a unified
methodological language for forensic scientists and psychologists, forming end-to-end interagency
investigative-operational teams, and protecting expert independence from departmental pressure.
The study utilizes comparative forensic, systemic-structural, formal-logical, and analytical
methods, as well as a retrospective analysis of criminal case materials regarding serial murders and
sexual violence. The methodological framework is based on the content analysis of relevant regulatory
legal acts governing forensic expert activity, methodical recommendations on maintaining
consolidated forensic records, as well as international and domestic protocols for constructing a
searching psychological profile (profiling).
The analysis revealed key problems: rigid departmental isolation of expert and investigative
units, conceptual distrust of practitioners towards forensic psychological examination data, the lack of
unified standards for fixing and interpreting the offender's "behavioral handwriting" (Modus Operandi) at the crime scene, and a shortage of qualified personnel possessing competencies at the
intersection of forensics and deviantology. It has been established that to overcome these barriers,
comprehensive measures are required: the implementation of end-to-end digital platforms for
automatic cross-matching of physical and behavioral evidence from different regions, modernization
of training programs for investigators in the field of forensic psychology, and the statutory
consolidation of the status of a specialist profiler within the criminal procedure framework. Solving
these problems will ensure rapid recognition of the serial nature of crimes at early stages, minimize the
risk of expert errors (including confirmation bias), and significantly increase the clearance rate of
latent encroachments on human life and property. Harmonization of interaction between science and
investigative practice will strengthen the protection of society against the most dangerous criminal
threats and increase public confidence in the effectiveness of the law enforcement system