Desk killers: the psychology of committing crimes against humanity

Author Dan Gretton discusses his book I You We Them, which examines the psychology of individuals who organised and implemented some of the worst crimes against humanity, from the Holocaust to human rights violations in Nigeria. In conversation with Rachel Dinning, he introduces the concept of the ‘desk killer’ – a perpetrator who is responsible for murder without taking an active role in the killing.

Dan Gretton is the author of I You We Them: Journeys Beyond Evil: The Desk Killer in History and Today (William Heinemann, 2019)