Profiler

This week on Profiler Africa, forensic psychologist Gerard Labuschagne sits down with Peter Collins, a globally recognized operational forensic psychiatrist who’s spent over 30 years on the frontline of violent crime investigations.Collins isn’t a “profiler”—he’s a psychiatrist who’s shaped how police understand, manage, and investigate high-risk offenders. From hostage negotiations and threat assessments to developing tools like ViCLAS for linking violent crimes, Collins has worked with agencies across North America, Europe, and beyond, including the FBI, Interpol, and Europol.In this episode:Forensic Psychiatry in Action – How psychiatry supports investigations, policing, and public safety.Threat Assessment & Hostage Negotiation – Lessons from decades with Toronto Police’s Emergency Task Force.Linkage Systems – The creation of ViCLAS and its role in connecting violent crimes.Global Perspective – Collaborating with elite law enforcement worldwide.Beyond Profiling – Why understanding behavior runs deeper

This week, forensic psychologist Gerard Labuschagne takes us inside one of South Africa’s most disturbing — yet largely ignored — serial murder cases.Between 2007 and 2009, 16 women and a child were raped, strangled and dumped in the bushveld around Westonaria and Lenasia. Most victims were unidentified. Many were unemployed, vulnerable, and invisible to the public eye. But not to their killer — Madumetja Jack Mogale.In this episode:From con-man prophet to convicted killer, this is the story of The Westonaria Strangler — a case that should have shaken the nation.

For years, Profiler Africa has warned that cracks were forming inside South Africa’s law enforcement system. This week, those cracks turned into a full-blown fracture.Explosive allegations by KZN Police Commissioner Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi — pointing to a criminal syndicate operating within the SAPS — have forced the President’s hand, sidelined the Police Minister, and plunged the country into chaos.In this episode, we strip away the headlines and ask:What does this mean for the average citizen?How do corrupt systems rot from within?And what happens when the institution meant to protect you is part of the threat?Then:Gerard Labuschagne takes your questions in a no-holds-barred Q&A — on crime, unsolved cases, and what it's really like inside the mind of a killer.This isn’t just news. It’s a reckoning.——

This week on Profiler Africa, South Africa's leading forensic psychologist Gerard Labuschagne takes us inside a shocking event that rocked an affluent Johannesburg suburb: the 2011 Rosebank Police Station shooting. More than just a lone disgruntled employee, this case exposes the dangerous cracks within law enforcement and the chilling reality of workplace violence.We delve into:The Perpetrator & The Spark: Who was Kekana, the admin clerk whose dismissal triggered this tragedy, and what was the seemingly minor fraud that set it all in motion?Ignored Warnings: The explicit threats made to Captain Neelavathie NAIDU and other officers before the shooting – and why these critical warning signs were dismissed.Systemic Failure: Kekana's troubling access to firearms, the lack of proactive threat management within SAPS, and how internal dynamics contributed to the disaster.Explosive Allegations: We also include a critical current affairs segment unpacking recent, high-level corruption claims by a provinci

This week on Profiler Africa, forensic psychologist Gérard Labuschagne uncovers the terrifying world of muti murders — killings where body parts are harvested for traditional medicine. These aren’t random acts of violence. They’re deliberate, driven by belief, greed, and an underground economy that thrives in the shadows.We dive into:What muti murder really means — and why it’s not just “ritual”A shocking case of a mother who killed her own childHow investigators navigate cultural taboos, community silence, and legal blind spotsWhy justice rarely comes for the victimsRecorded live on YouTube | 1 JulyHosted by Paul Llewellyn & Gerard LabuschagneSupport the show:

This week, Profiler Africa goes behind the scenes of South Africa’s most high-stakes standoffs with Dr Ernst Strydom — SAPS’ former National Coordinator of Hostage Negotiations.Host Paul Llewellyn and forensic psychologist Gerard Labuschagne dig into the psychology of crisis and negotiation, guided by the man who trained the nation’s negotiators and led SAPS through hijackings, bomb threats, and terrorist incidents.

In this explosive episode, Paul and Gerard sit down with retired Colonel Tollie Vreugdenburg — former head of SAPS Counter-Terrorism — to expose the chilling truth behind one of the most dangerous domestic terror plots in South African history: the Boeremag.This white supremacist militia planned to bomb the country into civil war, assassinate Nelson Mandela, and launch a violent coup. But thanks to Tollie and a small team of investigators, South Africa narrowly avoided its own 9/11.Inside the episode:Who the Boeremag were — and why they were more dangerous than you think“Document 12”: the plan for a white ethnostateBombings, betrayal, and a doomsday that almost happenedHow the police cracked the plot just in timeReligious prophecy, survivalism, and apocalyptic racismWhy this case still matters todayAbout our guest:Col. Tollie Vreugdenburg led the SAPS investigation that brought the Boeremag down. A veteran of Limpopo’s Murder and Robbery unit, he was central to exposing the coup plot. He also contributed to T

This week on Profiler Africa, we go deep into one of the most brutal and misunderstood crime waves in South Africa — farm murders.Host Paul Llewellyn and forensic psychologist Gerard Labuschagne are joined by veteran detective Gawie “Sakkie” Louwrens, who’s investigated over 300 farm killings. Now retired from SAPS, Sakkie leads an independent rural crime unit taking on what the police can’t — or won’t.Forget the headlines and political spin. This episode is about the real people living — and dying — on South Africa’s farms.

Profiler Africa | Episode Out NowWho’s really killing who in South Africa?In one of our most explosive episodes yet, Paul Llewellyn and forensic psychologist Gerard Labuschagne sit down with Dr Chris de Kock, former head of SAPS Crime Research, to pull the mask off one of South Africa’s most politicised crime topics: farm murders.Forget the hashtags, headlines, and hype. We’re cutting through the myth, the fear, and the politics — and getting to the truth.What farm murders are — and what they’re notWhether white farmers are being specifically targetedWhy the “white genocide” narrative won’t dieWhat SAPS stats say vs. AfriForum's claimsHow race, media and fear shape the national storyWhat needs to change in how we talk about and prevent rural crimeDr Chris de Kock is South Africa’s former head of Crime Information Analysis at SAPS. For decades, he’s been inside the system — and he knows what the numbers really say.

We delve into one of the most disturbing familicides in South African history — the Etwatwa family murders.On May 23, 2013, a 14-year-old boy in Johannesburg’s East Rand took an axe to his mother, grandmother, six-year-old brother, and four-month-old sister. Four lives ended in one night. A quiet street turned crime scene. A community left reeling. And a nation asking: how could a child commit such horror?We unpack the chilling events, the whispers of satanism and abuse, and the state's struggle to understand a boy turned killer. With little media coverage and fewer answers, a small team of investigators worked in the shadows to piece together a case that still haunts many today.⚠️ Content Warning: This episode contains graphic descriptions of violence and emotionally raw interviews. Some language reflects the trauma experienced by those involved. Listener discretion is strongly advised.

This is the case that chilled Johannesburg to the bone.Between 1989 and 1992, Kobus Geldenhuys — a police officer sworn to protect — unleashed a wave of terror across the city. He raped, murdered, and broke into homes while wearing the badge. By the time it was over, five women were dead, and a community had lost all trust in the uniform.This week, we dig into how Geldenhuys hid in plain sight, and the twisted psychology that drove his crimes. We’re joined by journalist Janine Lazarus, who worked with police during the hunt — even acting as bait to help catch him. Her story is raw, riveting, and unlike anything you’ve heard.

Psychologist. Intelligence specialist. Co-author of Killer Stories. This week, Paul and Gerard sit down with Brin Hodgskiss for a heavyweight conversation on the dark art of criminal profiling — from Johannesburg to the UK.Brin’s career spans burglary to terrorism, serial rape to murder, with 15 years in British law enforcement after starting out in SAPS. Now with the NHS, he brings that same insight to storytelling, consulting on the psychology of narrative and transformation.We get into:Profiling: SA vs UK — what’s different, what worksThe inner monologues of serial offendersInterviewing violent criminals (hint: it’s nothing like Netflix)How story drives both crime and rehabilitationWhat police psychology can teach us outside the interrogation room

No case breakdown. No fluff. Just a gripping conversation with one of the world’s top arson and bombing experts.We’re joined by Ed Nordskog—retired arson/bomb investigator for the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department, FBI instructor, US Marine vet, and author of six essential books on fire-related crime. With over 2,100 arson cases under his belt and profiles on dozens of serial arsonists, Ed is the real deal.Together with Paul and Gerard, he unpacks:– What makes a serial arsonist tick– How investigators track killers who burn– The brutal realities of fire death scenes– Why arson is one of the most overlooked serial crime types in the worldIf you’re into criminal profiling, forensic psych, or just want to hear from someone who’s literally walked through fire for justice—this one’s for you.

What’s it like creating true crime content in South Africa? This week, we sit down with YouTuber and storyteller Tshego Paledi (44K+ subscribers) for a raw, behind-the-scenes look at life in the local crime content game.No case breakdowns—just an honest convo about the highs, hate, ethics, and emotional toll of documenting real stories of violence, injustice, and survival.From the cases that changed her to the criticism she faces, Tshego joins Paul and Gerard to unpack what it really means to tell the told and untold in a country where crime is personal, political, and often painful.A must-listen for anyone in the true crime space—or anyone who consumes it.

Series Description:South African Serial is a 12-part true crime anthology series. Each episode investigates one unforgettable South African crime.Episode Description:In our first episode, we unpack the disturbing case of Stewart “Boetie Boer” Wilken — one of South Africa’s most dangerous serial killers. With a history of necrophilia, cannibalism, and a terrifying God complex, Wilken confessed to 12 murders and was convicted of 7.This episode draws from exclusive case files and a rare two-day prison interview conducted in 2006. It’s a harrowing journey into the making of a monster.New episodes drop weekly — first for members, then a week later for YouTube and all podcast platforms.Next episode premieres 14 May on Spotify and all major podcast apps.

This week: one of the rarest — and most horrifying — crimes on earth. A baby ripped from the womb in a violent act of theft.We go deep into the case of Loretta Cook, a 24-year-old from Toekomsrus, whose web of lies led to murder and left a newborn fighting for life.South Africa has seen not one, but at least three known caesarean kidnappings — an almost unheard-of crime globally. Why here? Why now?Gerard Labuschagne and Paul Llewellyn unpack:Why women fake pregnancies and kill to make them realHow these crimes are planned, not impulsiveWhat forensic psychology reveals about killers who seem "normal"And how society’s pressure to be a mother can turn deadly

He murdered his family with an axe — thencalmly called emergency services like nothing happened.We're digging into one of South Africa’s mostshocking crimes: the brutal axe murders committed by 20-year-old Henri van Breda.In 2015, inside the family’s luxury estate inStellenbosch, Henri killed his parents and brother—and nearly murdered his teenage sister, who somehow survived. The aftermath? A strange 911 call, self-inflicted wounds, and a trial that exposed chilling levels of control, detachment, and deceit.What turns a privileged young man into a familyannihilator? What does the psychology say about motive, manipulation, and remorse? And how close did he come to getting away with it?We unpack the twisted mind behind the massacre,the forensic psychology, and the courtroom battle that followed. With expert insight from Dr. Gerard Labuschagne, former head of SAPS’ Investigative Psychology Unit.

We're stepping out of the morgue and into the mind — with one of the world’s top forensic psychologists.This week on Profiler Africa, our guest is Dr. Helinä Häkkänen, a Finnish powerhouse whose work has shaped war crimes trials, courtroom psychology, and criminal investigations from South Africa to The Hague. With over 60 publications and a career advising the ICC and European law enforcement, she’s the real deal — no drama, just science.We unpack what real profiling looks like — far from the TV nonsense. From prepping witnesses for court using cutting-edge trauma techniques, to the psychological anatomy of sex crimes and stalking, Dr. Häkkänen lays it bare. Plus: what it’s like working on the frontline of war crime prosecutions, and the ethical minefield of being an expert witness.Forget the trench coats and catchphrases. This is profiling, unplugged.

In this episode of Profiler Africa, we take a deep dive into the terrifying case of Stewart Wilken, South Africa's most notorious serial killer. Wilken's killing spree, which spanned the early 1990s, left a trail of horrific murders that shocked the nation. Through an in-depth analysis of his background, his brutal crimes, and the dark psychology behind his actions, we uncover the twisted motivations that drove his reign of terror.From his troubled childhood in Boksburg to his descent into violence, we’ll explore how Wilken’s traumatic experiences shaped his need for power, control, and revenge. We’ll also break down the disturbing details of his crimes, including necrophilia and cannibalism, and discuss how his chilling confessions and obsessive behavior contributed to his infamy.

In this episode of Profiler Africa, we’re joined by Colonel (Ret.) Kirsten Clark, former SAPS Investigative Psychologist and Criminal Behaviour Specialist, to discuss the chilling case of Kyle Ruiters. Clark conducted a psychological assessment of Ruiters in 2019, offering rare insight into his mindset, disturbing obsessions, and the dark psychological profile that emerged from her report.Ruiters, who brutally murdered and dismembered his victim, displayed traits of narcissism, manipulation, and a dangerous preoccupation with control and power. In tonight’s episode, we’ll unpack Clark’s findings, from his early childhood issues to his fascination with serial killers and his disturbing lack of empathy. We’ll also explore the broader implications of personality disorders in violent offenders and what this case reveals about criminal psychology in South Africa.