Research in Child Abuse and Neglect: Paternal Filicide in Quebec (2005)

Part of our ongoing survey of what the child abuse and neglect literature really says about perpetrators. Perpetrator data is highlighted in bold.

http://www.jaapl.org/cgi/content/abstract/33/3/354

J Am Acad Psychiatry Law 33:3:354-360 (2005)
Paternal Filicide in Québec

Dominique Bourget, MD and Pierre Gagné, MD
Dr. Bourget is Associate Professor in Psychiatry, University of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, and coroner in the province of Québec, Canada.

Dr. Gagné is Associate Professor in Psychiatry, University of Sherbrooke, Québec, Canada, and coroner in the province of Québec. Address correspondence to: Dominique Bourget, MD, Royal Ottawa Hospital, 1145 Carling Avenue, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada K1Z 7K4.

In this retrospective study, relevant demographic, social, and clinical variables were examined in 77 cases of paternal filicide. Between 1991 and 2001, all consecutive coroners’ files on domestic homicide in Québec, Canada, were reviewed, and 77 child victims of 60 male parent perpetrators were identified. The results support data indicating that more fathers commit filicide than do mothers. A history of family abuse was characteristic of a substantial number of cases, and most of the cases involved violent means of homicide. Filicide was frequently (60%) followed by the suicide of the perpetrator and more so (86%) in cases involving multiple sibling victims. The abuse of drugs and alcohol was rare. At the time of the offense, most of the perpetrators were suffering from a psychiatric illness, usually depressive disorder. Nearly one-third were in a psychotic state. The proportion of fatal abuse cases was comparatively low. Many of the perpetrators had had contact with health professionals prior to the offense, although none had received treatment for a psychiatric illness.