Revenge filicide: An international perspective through 62 cases

Area of Science:

• Forensic Psychology
• Criminology
• Child Psychology

Background:

• Filicide, the killing of children by parents, includes rare revenge filicide.
• Revenge filicide aims to inflict emotional distress on the other parent.

Purpose of the Study:

• To describe characteristics of revenge filicide perpetrators and victims.
• To identify subtypes and commonalities in international revenge filicide cases.

Main Methods:

• Descriptive study of 62 international revenge filicide cases from nine countries.
• Analysis of perpetrator demographics, mental health, victim characteristics, and crime details.

Main Results:

• Perpetrators were male or female; over half had mental disorders (often personality disorders).
• Domestic violence history was frequent; victims were typically young children (mean age 6).
• Common methods included asphyxiation, firearms, and knives; post-crime suicide was prevalent.

Conclusions:

• Identified four subtypes: rejection, custody dispute, infidelity, and argument-related.
• Findings aid in identifying high-risk situations and inform future research.
• Most offenders were convicted; mental health defenses were rarely successful.