Spousal homicide and suicide in Quebec

Domestic violence is a cause for major concern in psychiatry today, yet little is known about the amplitude and dynamics of spousal homicide and extended suicide. Within the jurisdiction of the Quebec Coroner's Office, the investigation files on all consecutive cases of deceased victims of intrafamilial violence occurring between 1991 and 1998 were reviewed. Using a validated checklist, a variety of variables were systematically collected and reviewed for descriptive analysis. Three hundred eighty-eight cases of death were studied. Of this sample, 145 cases (37.4%) concerned victims of conjugal homicide. Fifty-eight cases (40.01%) concerned victims whose homicidal spouses subsequently killed themselves. Suicidal offenders were more likely to be men, to be estranged from their spouse through separation, and, most often, to have used a firearm in the commission of the extended homicide-suicide. The majority of offenders suffered from clinical symptoms of depression. This study emphasizes the need to develop a detailed tool to assist coroners in the field and police investigators with the gathering of specific information that will be of use to clinical researchers.