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Temrin H. Paternal Filicide in Sweden: Background, Risk Factors and the Cinderella Effect. EVOLUTIONARY PSYCHOLOGY 2024; 22:14747049241265623. [PMID: 39193729 PMCID: PMC11359440 DOI: 10.1177/14747049241265623] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2024] [Revised: 06/15/2024] [Accepted: 06/17/2024] [Indexed: 08/29/2024] Open
Abstract
An overrepresentation of stepchildren as victims of filicide has been explained as a consequence of 'discriminative parental solicitude'. The idea being that Darwinian selection has favoured parental love and concern only for biological children, and when such parental feelings are absent, as in stepparents, conflicts with a child could easier escalate to lethal violence. An alternative explanation for this overrepresentation of stepchildren is that risk factors for filicide, such as criminal behaviour and mental health problems, are more prevalent in stepparents. This study focused on paternal filicide in Sweden and investigated (i) if stepchildren are overrepresented as victims of filicide compared with biological children, (ii) if filicides are committed in a context that implies a 'conflict with the child victim' and (iii) if stepfathers and biological fathers differ in characteristics associated with filicide risk. The analyses showed that stepchildren were overrepresented as victims compared with children of fathers in families with two biological parents and this overrepresentation was even higher in young children. Children of single biological fathers and children of non-residential biological fathers were also overrepresented as victims of filicide. Less than 20 percent of the filicides were committed in the context of a 'conflict with the child' and in these cases only stepchildren were overrepresented as victims. In the population at large, both stepfathers and single biological fathers had higher rates of mental health problems, violent criminality and illegal possession of drugs compared with fathers in families with two biological parents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hans Temrin
- Division of Ethology, Department of Zoology, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
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Sundwall AJ, Sturup J, Rosén A, Zilg B. Swedish child homicide investigations: A population-based study 1998 to 2017. CHILD ABUSE & NEGLECT 2024; 149:106679. [PMID: 38335564 DOI: 10.1016/j.chiabu.2024.106679] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2023] [Revised: 01/24/2024] [Accepted: 01/27/2024] [Indexed: 02/12/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND 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. OBJECTIVE 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. PARTICIPANTS AND SETTING 70 cases with 82 victims (41 girls, 41 boys) aged between 0 and 14 were included. METHOD Police, crime scene and autopsy reports of solved Swedish child homicides were retrospectively reviewed. RESULTS 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. CONCLUSIONS 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.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Jinghede Sundwall
- Swedish Police Authority, Forensics Section, Police Region Bergslagen, Örebro; Karolinska Institutet, Department of Oncology-Pathology, Solnavägen 1, SE-171 77 Solna, Sweden.
| | - Joakim Sturup
- Karolinska Institutet, Department of Oncology-Pathology, Solnavägen 1, SE-171 77 Solna, Sweden; Swedish Police Authority, National Department of Operations, Sweden
| | - Annika Rosén
- University of Bergen, Department of Clinical Dentistry, Bergen, Norway; Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Norway; Eastman Institute, Department of oral and maxillofacial surgery, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Brita Zilg
- Karolinska Institutet, Department of Oncology-Pathology, Solnavägen 1, SE-171 77 Solna, Sweden; Department of Forensic Medicine, Swedish National Board of Forensic Medicine, Retzius väg 5, SE-171 65 Stockholm, Sweden
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Ottesen V. Evolutionary psychological perspectives on filicide are applicable in modern-day Norway. Front Psychol 2023; 14:1019020. [PMID: 36760457 PMCID: PMC9902357 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1019020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2022] [Accepted: 01/02/2023] [Indexed: 01/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Current evolutionary psychological (EP) perspectives on filicide perpetration propose that it is an extreme behavioral manifestation of psychological mechanisms that evolved due to their function toward enabling ancestrally adaptive discriminative parental investment. Predictions concerning the characteristics traits of filicide derived from this hypothesis have been empirically supported cross-culturally. Still, it remains a theoretical and empirical question whether EP perspectives on filicide are applicable in societies where the general population is alleviated from ancestrally salient cues to reproductive conflict between individuals and children in their care and the opportunities for lethal caretaker behaviors are highly constricted. Compiling a national sample of filicide cases in modern-day Norway, the present study catered for testing whether EP perspectives on filicide apply in such a society. As predicted, the majority of incidents (79.5%) were associated with perpetrator psychopathology (psychotic episode or filicide-suicide). This further catered for testing the EP hypothesis that filicides associated with perpetrator psychopathology will be characterized by traits that contradict an ancestrally adaptive logic for discriminant parental investment. A full series of predictions derived from this hypothesis was supported as filicides with this association included no step-parental perpetrators and, when compared against filicides that were not associated with perpetrator psychopathology, had older victims and perpetrators and more often multiple victims. The findings confirm the potential applicability of EP perspectives on filicide in progressive and highly developed welfare states, thus lending support to their universal validity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vibeke Ottesen
- Department of Psychosocial Science, Faculty of Psychology, University of Bergen, Bergen, Hordaland, Norway
- Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Synthesis, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
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Karlsson LC, Antfolk J, Putkonen H, Amon S, da Silva Guerreiro J, de Vogel V, Flynn S, Weizmann-Henelius G. Familicide: A Systematic Literature Review. TRAUMA, VIOLENCE & ABUSE 2021; 22:83-98. [PMID: 30704336 DOI: 10.1177/1524838018821955] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Familicides have received relatively little attention and are mostly discussed in studies with broader aims. Here, we reviewed 67 studies from 18 countries on familicides, in which an offender killed or attempted to kill their current or former spouse/intimate partner and one or more of their biological or stepchildren. We conducted a systematic literature search in PubMed, PsycINFO, and Google Scholar. Eight studies investigated familicide specifically, while the remaining reported on familicide cases as a subsample. We retrieved data on offenders' gender, age, and background as well as on victims and their relationship to the offender. We also retrieved data on contextual factors and offense characteristics (i.e., modus operandi, offense location, premeditation, and whether or not the offender had committed suicide). We also coded methodological aspects of the studies. Familicides were almost exclusively committed by men and about half of the familicide cases led to the suicide of the offender. Mental health problems, relationship problems, and financial difficulties were prevalent. Because few studies reported population base rates of the investigated characteristics, it is difficult to draw conclusions about specific risk factors. Future research should further investigate typologies of familicide and examine risk factors for different types of familicides.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linda C Karlsson
- Department of Psychology, Åbo Akademi University, Turku, Finland
| | - Jan Antfolk
- Department of Psychology, Åbo Akademi University, Turku, Finland
| | - Hanna Putkonen
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
- Department of Addiction Psychiatry, Helsinki University Central Hospital, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Sabine Amon
- Department of Psychology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - João da Silva Guerreiro
- Department of Psychology, Centre de recherche de l'Institut Philippe Pinel de Montréal, Université du Québec à Montréal, Montréal, Canada
| | - Vivienne de Vogel
- De Forensische Zorgspecialisten and University of Applied Sciences Utrecht, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Sandra Flynn
- Division of Psychology and Mental Health, University of Manchester, Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Ghitta Weizmann-Henelius
- Department of Psychology, Åbo Akademi University, Turku, Finland
- Vanha Vaasa Hospital, Vaasa, Finland
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Bäckström B, Hedlund J, Masterman T, Sturup J. Injury-Related Healthcare Use and Risk of Filicide Victimization: A Population-Based Case-Control Study. J Forensic Sci 2018; 64:166-170. [PMID: 30184269 DOI: 10.1111/1556-4029.13908] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2018] [Revised: 08/22/2018] [Accepted: 08/23/2018] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Research on child-related risk factors for filicide is scant. We investigated whether prior healthcare use for injury (including poisoning) influences filicide risk. Victims (0-14 years; n = 71) were identified in a national autopsy database for the years 1994-2012 and compared to matched, general population controls (n = 355). Healthcare use data were retrieved from a national patient registry. Risks were estimated using odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). For females, prior inpatient care for injury conferred a statistically significant sevenfold risk (OR = 6.67 [95% CI: 1.49-29.79]), and any prior injury-related healthcare use conferred a statistically significant fourfold risk (OR = 3.57 [95% CI: 1.13-11.25]), of filicide victimization. No statistically significant risks were found for males. Healthcare personnel should be aware that children treated for injuries, especially females, may be at an elevated risk of filicide victimization. Nevertheless, the filicide base rate remains low, and parents may be stigmatized by unfounded alerts; thus, prudent reflection should precede reports to the authorities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Björn Bäckström
- Department of Community Medicine and Rehabilitation/Forensic Medicine, Umeå University, PO Box 7616, SE-907 12, Umeå, Sweden.,Department of Forensic Medicine, National Board of Forensic Medicine, PO Box 7616, SE-907 12, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Jonatan Hedlund
- Centre for Psychiatry Research, Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Norra Stationsgatan 69, 113 64, Stockholm, Sweden.,Department of Forensic Psychiatry, National Board of Forensic Medicine, PO Box 4044, SE-141 04, Huddinge, Sweden
| | - Thomas Masterman
- Centre for Psychiatry Research, Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Norra Stationsgatan 69, 113 64, Stockholm, Sweden.,Department of Forensic Psychiatry, National Board of Forensic Medicine, PO Box 4044, SE-141 04, Huddinge, Sweden
| | - Joakim Sturup
- Centre for Psychiatry Research, Department of Clinical Neuroscience, Karolinska Institutet, Norra Stationsgatan 69, 113 64, Stockholm, Sweden.,Department of Forensic Psychiatry, National Board of Forensic Medicine, PO Box 4044, SE-141 04, Huddinge, Sweden.,Swedish Police Authority, Stockholm Region, SE-106 75, Stockholm, Sweden
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Aho AL, Remahl A, Paavilainen E. Homicide in the western family and background factors of a perpetrator. Scand J Public Health 2017; 45:555-568. [PMID: 28565939 DOI: 10.1177/1403494817705587] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
AIMS Familicide is a multiple-victim homicide incident in which the killer's spouse and one or more children are slain. A systematic review was conducted to reveal the background factors of western homicide perpetrators. METHODS The systematic search was performed in the Arto, Medic, Cinahl, Medline, EBSCOhost Academic Search Premier and Social Services abstracts databases. The keywords were familicide, family homicide, familicide-suicide, filicide-suicide, extended suicide, child, murder, family, filicide and infanticide. The searches revealed 4139 references from the databases. The references were filtered and 32 peer-reviewed research articles revealed in years 2004-2014 were selected as data. The articles were analysed using inductive content analysis, by finding all possible background factors related to homicide. RESULTS The factors were described as percentages of the range. The background factors of familicide perpetrators were categorised as follows: perpetrators who had committed homicide of a child and intimate partner and possibly committed suicide; a father had who killed a child; a mother who had killed a child; a father who had committed a filicide-suicide; and a mother who had committed a filicide-suicide. CONCLUSIONS Psychological instability, violence and crime were found in all these categories of familicides. Perpetrators who had committed a suicide in addition to the familicide had more often been diagnosed with depression, but they sought treatment for mental health problems less often and had violence and self-destructiveness less often in their background than in other familicide categories. Social and healthcare professionals should be more sensitive to emerging family problems and be prepared for intervention.
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