Child murder and gender differences – A nationwide register-based study of filicide offenders in two European countries

Abstract

This study aimed to discover gender differences in filicide offenders' psychiatric diagnoses, history, and other mental health-related variables. This nationwide register-based study covered all filicide offenders (n = 124) in Austria and Finland in 1995–2005. There were 79 female and 45 male offenders. Both genders had an equally challenged childhood. The filicidal fathers were older than the mothers, mean ages 37.5 and 31.6 years, respectively (p < 0.001). Filicidal fathers committed suicide at the crime scene more often than the mothers (38% vs. 15%, p < 0.05). Of the examined parents, fathers were diagnosed more often with substance abuse/dependence (39% vs. 2%, p < 0.001) and mothers with a psychotic disorder (35% vs. 13%, p < 0.05). During the year preceding the crime, 25 (32%) of the mothers and 13 (29%) of the fathers had sought help for mental health-related problems. Service providers need specific strategies to support parents in distress, especially when depressive symptoms are present.

Keywords:

• filicide
• child murder
• gender
• psychiatric disorder

Acknowledgments

The authors thank each national agency for co-operation in collecting data and all national organizations and their staff for help in providing general national statistics. The Austrian Project was funded by the Austrian National Bank, Jubiläumsfonds AP 12200 ÖNB (Project leaders Claudia Klier and Max Friedrich).