Swedish child homicide investigations: A population-based study 1998 to 2017

Child homicide investigations are intricate, and the forensic examinations are of paramount importance in such cases. Despite this, the forensic profile of child homicides remains unexplored.

Our objective was to provide an overview of the forensic aspects and investigational challenges in Swedish child homicide cases spanning from 1998 to 2017, with a specific focus on enhancing investigative methods.

70 cases with 82 victims (41 girls, 41 boys) aged between 0 and 14 were included.

Police, crime scene and autopsy reports of solved Swedish child homicides were retrospectively reviewed.

On average, 3.5 cases (4.1 victims) occurred annually, primarily within families (79 %). Notably, the number of cases increased by 10 % during the latter half of the study period (2008-2017) compared to the initial decade (1998-2007). In nearly 29 % of instances, the perpetrators followed the homicides with their own suicides. A majority of child deaths (89 %) resulted from concentrated acts of violence, most frequently involving blunt or sharp force. Furthermore, 66 % of the homicides took place within the parental home. Adequate crime scene processing, including documentation and evidence collection, occurred in 74 % of cases. The investigation unveiled several complicating factors: 22 % of victims and 47 % of crime scenes displayed no obvious signs of violence. Moreover, offenders often made physical (27 %) and verbal (26 %) attempts to mislead investigators.

In conclusion, most child homicides are familial in nature and associated with investigational complexities that can lead to misdirection. This research may inform procedural recommendations for child homicide investigations, but further exploration is needed to better understand the forensic characteristics of suspicious child deaths.