Neurobiologist Dr. Gerhard Roth of Bremen, Germany, has found the root of all evil, well maybe not the root, but what he believes to be the cause of evil in humans. He calls it the “evil patch,” a dark spot on the central lobe of the brains of the many violent offenders that he has examined over the years as part of German government studies. According to Roth this dark mass appears on the brains of all violent offenders, “There are cases where someone becomes criminal as a result of a tumor or an injury in that area, and after an operation to remove the tumor, that person was completely normal again. Or there are physiological deficits, because certain substances such as serotonin in the forebrain are not working effectively. But this is definitely the region of the brain where evil is formed and where it lurks.”
He outlines three basic types of evil personality: The physiologically healthy person who develops in an evil-friendly environment, the mentally disturbed criminal who fears the world and the psychopath. When any of these types were shown brutal violent scenes from short films, scientists were unable to measure any activity in the part of the brain associated with sadness and compassion.
Roth however does not believe that the children and young people he sees with this “evil patch” are destined to become evil, ‘Of course it is not automatic. The brain can compensate somewhat for violent tendencies and it is unclear how that works.” Roth calls for early intervention and support for families with this possibly inherited condition before the evil manifests itself, ‘Experts detect a mental decline in some people that begins in the kindergarten. It is the task of society to offer widespread support to the children and their parents before they become criminals.” He has also been at the forefront of the call for criminal sentencing reforms in light of this physical condition, which he believes limits, or even removes and individual’s free will..
