State patients charged with parricide: a thematic analysis of their relationship experiences with their victims

The mentally ill offender is considered to be an independent category when discussing the typology of perpetrators. Mental illness shares many of the risk factors present in the other categories of parricide offenders; however, there has been little research into the relationship dynamics between victim and perpetrator, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa.

The objectives of this research were to explore aspects of the relationship between a mentally ill perpetrator of parricide with the victim within different contexts.

This qualitative study was conducted in a forensic psychiatry setting in South Africa on six mentally ill parricide offenders. The interviews were analysed using a descriptive phenomenological approach.

The themes identified were closely linked with systemic injustices that resulted in the fragmentation of family structures. Inadequate resources contributed to themes of increased responsibility on younger family members and limited time for families to bond. Another closely related theme was the normalisation of substance use. Poor patterns of communication and inconsistent discipline were common to all participants. The last theme focused on the difficulties faced by parents as they struggled to understand the magnitude of mental illness in their children. The intended areas of exploration were discussed as consequences of or mediators of stress within the themes.

The implications are for future research to focus on identifying modifiable risk factors and to explore the influence of South African culture on communication patterns in similar community settings. Of the six participants, one outlier was identified in terms of socioeconomic circumstances and the victim being a stepparent. This possibly indicates a need to clarify if relational proximity and/or social class compound risk.