Do multiple planned homicides by the same individual(s) make for one genocide? A rundown of the victims of Luis Alfredo Garavito Cubillos by Zyra Irani Genocide is a planned mass killing of a particular group of individuals that have something in common while homicide is murder, usually of a single person. The question today is what classifies as a mass killing? We have had plenty of examples of genocide throughout history, the most notable of course being the holocaust in Germany. All the people who have orchestrated the death of others are killers and quite frankly, the loss of one life shouldn’t be considered minor to have a distinction in the values. Another factor that constitutes genocide is the time at which the people lost their lives. There is no fixed time period, and therefore we ask should the homicides of serial killers be considered genocide? It checks all the boxes- a large number of people, planned events, and throughout their lives. The serial killer in question goes by the name of Luis Alfredo Garavito Cubillos, commonly known as La Bestia a Colombian pederast, rapist, necrophile, and serial killer. In 1999, he admitted to the rape, torture, and murder of 138 boys and teenagers. We have such people in the world, and we consider the Netflix show “You” to be creepy. Ironic, isn’t it? The biggest blow to humankind is that this isn’t a one-off case, we have had serial killers who are general practitioners who murder their patients. We have Pedro Lopez (300+ victims), Javed Iqbal (100+ victims), Giuseppe Greco (80-300 victims), and many more. Today however our focus lies on Luis Alfredo. His criminal career lasted from 1992-1999 and unfortunately was a successful one. After a span of 7 years of crime, his conviction would have led to 1853 years in Columbian prison but was reduced to 22 years for collaboration and the prohibition of life imprisonment in Colombia. The killings were planned based on age, sex, and social status. His most frequent victims were boys aged 6-13. Most of these boys were either orphaned or peasants and had light skin and coloured eyes. This shows that his victims all had something in common- the first criteria of genocide. Having been born and brought up in the countryside of Columbia, he knew how to lure his victims to him. He used tactics such as bribery and offering odd jobs to the children. To make his claims seem legitimate he would often disguise himself as a priest, a homeless man, a street vendor, etc. So that he was never pinpointed, he changed his disguise often. His methods of hurting these children were unimaginable. It would start with taking them for a long walk so they would be tired and vulnerable. After that, he would tie their hands, rape, torture, and sometimes decapitate them. This included having his buttocks stabbed, sharpened objects inserted into the anus, as well as testicles severed and shoved in his mouth. This process was part of a “Pact with the Devil” and a Satanic ritual that he followed with all of them. After this, the bodies were burned with a lighter and stomped on. Most of the corpses were found completely naked, and all bore bite marks and signs of anal penetration; bottles of lubricant were found near the bodies, along with empty liquor bottles. This proves a similar pattern of the murder of victims- the second requirement for it to be considered a genocide. After careful examination of the provided information, I strongly believe that the career of Luis Alfredo Garavito Cubillos should be considered genocide as it fits all the criteria. After examining this case we might consider putting down the careers of other serial killers under the microscope. All these individuals had and have serious mental problems to be capable of these atrocities and should not be considered as minor as compared to a well-planned and orchestrated genocide.