--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: There are certain crimes that are simply…" description: "\"There are certain crimes that are simply too cruel, too sadistic, too hideous to be forgiven.\" — John E. Douglas" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/02d/john-e-douglas-17408_certain_there-are-certain-crimes-that-are-simply_2008592.jpg" --- # There are certain crimes that are simply too cruel, too… ![“There are certain crimes that are simply too cruel, too sadistic, too hideous to be forgiven.” quote by John E. Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/02d/john-e-douglas-17408_certain_there-are-certain-crimes-that-are-simply_2008592.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/02d/john-e-douglas-17408_certain_there-are-certain-crimes-that-are-simply_2008592.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/02d/john-e-douglas-17408_certain_there-are-certain-crimes-that-are-simply_2008592.jpg) > “There are certain crimes that are simply too cruel, too sadistic, too hideous to be forgiven.” [John E. Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-e-douglas/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Some offenses are so extreme in cruelty and sadism that they exceed the bounds of forgiveness. **In simple terms:** Certain crimes are unforgivable. Key Takeaway Recognize limits of compassion. Themes morality justice forgiveness evil Mood somber serious Type ethical analytical When to use this quote - legal sentencing - victim support - rehabilitation policy - ethical debates - media coverage Key Concepts psychology ethics extreme behavior Questions to Reflect On - Can any act ever be truly forgiven? - What role should punishment play? A Different Perspective Societal desire for redemption may conflict with the severity of such acts. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Crime](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/crime/) ## Related quotes > [Leading someone on is just plain and simply cruel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/leading-someone-on-is-just-plain-and-simply-cruel/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Suddenly William loomed over him, scowling, snarling and bloody, his suit dirt-stained and ripped. “Do you know. How many strands. Of hair I lost.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gena-showalter/suddenly-william-loomed-over-him-scowling-snarling-and-bloody-his/) [Gena Showalter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gena-showalter/) > [Certain crimes cannot be prevented unless there is a daily collective work done diligently.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kiran-bedi/certain-crimes-cannot-be-prevented-unless-there-is-a-daily-collective/) [Kiran Bedi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kiran-bedi/) > [I think there are certain crimes which the law cannot touch, and which therefore, to some extent, justify private revenge.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arthur-conan-doyle/i-think-there-are-certain-crimes-which-the-law-cannot-touch-and-which/) [Arthur Conan Doyle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arthur-conan-doyle/) > [ “...loading your brain with subliminal messages… How loathsome to turn a sadistic murder into entertainment \[in the newspaper\] -- and yet how hard not… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-gaitskill/loading-your-brain-with-subliminal-messages-how-loathsome-to-turn-a/) [Mary Gaitskill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-gaitskill/) > [“Søren had fallen in love with a baby domme who had a sadistic streak in her as wide as her smile. This girl would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/s-ren-had-fallen-in-love-with-a-baby-domme-who-had-a-sadistic-streak/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [The way those sons-of-bitches took advantage of me. Warhol is a sadistic faggot.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edie-sedgwick/the-way-those-sons-of-bitches-took-advantage-of-me-warhol-is-a/) [Edie Sedgwick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edie-sedgwick/) > [The civilised cultures are the most cruel. It's the same with education - often it breeds sadistic forms of cruelty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nellie-mckay/the-civilised-cultures-are-the-most-cruel-it-s-the-same-with/) [Nellie McKay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nellie-mckay/) > [I think there is something beautiful in reveling in sadness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-gordon-levitt/i-think-there-is-something-beautiful-in-reveling-in-sadness/) [Joseph Gordon-Levitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-gordon-levitt/) > [“I’ve always hated it when authors seem to find joy In killing my favorite characters. With gleaming eyes they toy With turmoil in every…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/justin-wetch/i-ve-always-hated-it-when-authors-seem-to-find-joy-in-killing-my/) [Justin Wetch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/justin-wetch/) > [“A sadistic jerk?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/l-j-shen/a-sadistic-jerk/) [L.J. Shen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/l-j-shen/) > [“As mandatory reporting laws and community awareness drove an increase its child protection investigations throughout the 1980s, some children began to disclose premeditated, sadistic…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-salter/as-mandatory-reporting-laws-and-community-awareness-drove-an-increase/) [Michael Salter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-salter/) > [The torture and other sadistic abuses of prisoners in Iraq have done immense damage already to America's reputation in the world, and the worst…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-kennedy/the-torture-and-other-sadistic-abuses-of-prisoners-in-iraq-have-done/) [Edward Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-kennedy/) > [“He throws his head back and laughs lightly. “Maybe in your world,” he says. “Then again, you’re kind of sadistic and I highly doubt…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/he-throws-his-head-back-and-laughs-lightly-maybe-in-your-world-he/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Religion is a disease. It is born of fear; it compensates through hate in the guise of authority, revelation. Religion, enthroned in a powerful…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-amos-dorsey/religion-is-a-disease-it-is-born-of-fear-it-compensates-through-hate/) [George Amos Dorsey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-amos-dorsey/) ## More by John E. Douglas > [“Serial murder may, in fact, be a much older phenomenon than we realize. The stories and legends that have filtered down about witches and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-e-douglas/serial-murder-may-in-fact-be-a-much-older-phenomenon-than-we-realize/) [John E. Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-e-douglas/) > [“Manipulation. Domination. Control. These are the three watchwords of violent serial offenders.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-e-douglas/manipulation-domination-control-these-are-the-three-watchwords-of/) [John E. Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-e-douglas/) > [“One of the first things every trainee is taught is that an FBI agent only shoots to kill. The thinking that went into this…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-e-douglas/one-of-the-first-things-every-trainee-is-taught-is-that-an-fbi-agent/) [John E. Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-e-douglas/) > [“Traditionally, most murders and violent crimes were relatively easy for law enforcement officials to comprehend. They resulted from critically exaggerated manifestations of feelings we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-e-douglas/traditionally-most-murders-and-violent-crimes-were-relatively-easy/) [John E. Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-e-douglas/) > [“It all comes down to this: Whenever theory supersedes evidence, and prejudice deposes rationalism, there can be no real justice.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-e-douglas/it-all-comes-down-to-this-whenever-theory-supersedes-evidence-and/) [John E. Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-e-douglas/) > [“of Edgar Allan Poe’s 1841 classic “The Murders in the Rue Morgue,” may have been history’s first behavioral profiler.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-e-douglas/of-edgar-allan-poe-s-1841-classic-the-murders-in-the-rue-morgue-may/) [John E. Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-e-douglas/) > [“from the Adairsville PD. What you’ve got to do is imply that you understand the subject, understand what was going through his mind and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-e-douglas/from-the-adairsville-pd-what-you-ve-got-to-do-is-imply-that-you/) [John E. Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-e-douglas/) > [“I knew the way these guys operated; I'd seen it over and over again. They had a need to manipulate and dominate their prey.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-e-douglas/i-knew-the-way-these-guys-operated-i-d-seen-it-over-and-over-again/) [John E. Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-e-douglas/) > [“By studying as many crimes as we could, and through talking to the experts—the perpetrators themselves—we have learned to interpret those clues in much…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-e-douglas/by-studying-as-many-crimes-as-we-could-and-through-talking-to-the/) [John E. Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-e-douglas/) > [“So much of what a law enforcement officer does is difficult to share with anyone, even a spouse. When you spend your days looking…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-e-douglas/so-much-of-what-a-law-enforcement-officer-does-is-difficult-to-share/) [John E. Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-e-douglas/) > [“Even though their crimes were completely different, the one thing the maladjusted genius Ted Kaczynski and the sadistic but banal underachiever Dennis Rader shared…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-e-douglas/even-though-their-crimes-were-completely-different-the-one-thing-the/) [John E. Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-e-douglas/) > [“If a bank robber tapes over the lens of a surveillance camera, that’s MO. If he feels a need to tear his clothes off…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-e-douglas/if-a-bank-robber-tapes-over-the-lens-of-a-surveillance-camera-that-s/) [John E. Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-e-douglas/) > [“I've come out many times publicly in support of the death penalty. I've stated that I'd be more than willing personally to pull the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-e-douglas/i-ve-come-out-many-times-publicly-in-support-of-the-death-penalty-i/) [John E. Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-e-douglas/) > [“The problem with offering up the top guy, in addition to encouraging other desperate little people to try the same thing, is that you…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-e-douglas/the-problem-with-offering-up-the-top-guy-in-addition-to-encouraging/) [John E. Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-e-douglas/) > [“Behavior reflects personality. The best indicator of future violence is past violence. To understand the "artist," you must study his "art." The crime must…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-e-douglas/behavior-reflects-personality-the-best-indicator-of-future-violence/) [John E. Douglas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-e-douglas/) [Explore all 37 John E. 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It must be either new in itself or invested…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alfred-north-whitehead/for-successful-education-there-must-always-be-a-certain-freshness-in/) [Alfred North Whitehead](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alfred-north-whitehead/) > [People don't always realize that a record is forever. It'll always be there under your name. You've got to be certain that it's right.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frank-iero/people-don-t-always-realize-that-a-record-is-forever-it-ll-always-be/) [Frank Iero](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frank-iero/) > [Faith gives you a certain structure and meaning to your life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/riffat-hassan/faith-gives-you-a-certain-structure-and-meaning-to-your-life/) Riffat Hassan > [I started out dancing on a reality TV show, but always with the intention of making my way over to film. I transitioned into…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/julianne-hough/i-started-out-dancing-on-a-reality-tv-show-but-always-with-the/) [Julianne Hough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/julianne-hough/) > [One of the deepest and strangest of all human moods is the mood which will suddenly strike us perhaps in a garden at night,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/one-of-the-deepest-and-strangest-of-all-human-moods-is-the-mood-which/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [A dialogue is very important. It is a form of communication in which question and answer continue till a question is left without an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jiddu-krishnamurti/a-dialogue-is-very-important-it-is-a-form-of-communication-in-which/) [Jiddu Krishnamurti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jiddu-krishnamurti/) > [I mean those people who are interested in good government will certainly contribute in order to make certain there's some counter-balance to those whose…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-breyer/i-mean-those-people-who-are-interested-in-good-government-will/) [Stephen Breyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-breyer/) > [Why do we love certain homes, and why do they seem to love us? It is the warmth of our individual hearts reflected in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/t-h-robsjohn-gibbings/why-do-we-love-certain-homes-and-why-do-they-seem-to-love-us-it-is/) T. H. 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