The country watched in horror and fascination as searchers looked for Caylee Marie Anthony, a 2-year-old reported missing in Florida. The toddler hadn t been seen for a month before she was reported missing by her grandmother on July 15, 2008. Her mother, Casey Anthony, was indicted for first-degree murder on Oct. 14, 2008. Caylee s body was found on December 11, 2008. The cause of the child's death is listed in the autopsy report as "homicide by undetermined means." If true, what would have made Casey kill her own daughter? What makes anyone kill their own child?
New stories about parents who kill their children continue to mesmerize, shock and terrify the community each time they are reported. Although filicide (child murder) is uncommon, it s a leading cause of child death in developed countries. Compared to other developed nations, the United States has the highest rate of child homicide. When a child is murdered, the perpetrators are most likely one of the child s parents. In fact, children under the age of 5 in the United States are more likely to be killed by their parents than anyone else, according to FBI crime statistics: 57%. Family friends/acquaintances accounted for 30% and other family members for 8%. Stranger homicides account for the other 5%The children who are at the greatest risk are younger than 6 months old.
There have been many studies on maternal filicide, but few for paternal killers. However, there are striking differences on the motives and methods of killing between the genders. In the United States, women commit two crimes as frequently as men. The first is shoplifting. The second is the murder of their children. Women, who commit 13% of all violent crimes, kill their children at the same rate as men. Annually, more than 200 women will take the life of their child or children.
Motives for Filicide
Neonaticide:Killing within the first 24 hours of life.
In crimes of neonaticide, which is virtually exclusively committed by women, mothers are younger, rarely married, poorly educated, have a low level of psychiatric disorders and psychosocial stressors and no history of criminal behavior, and they don t attempt suicide after the murders. They generally don t seek out abortions. They conceal or don t acknowledge their pregnancies. The mothers rarely attempt or complete suicide after the homicide. These women are motivated prominently by a feeling of horror over the shame and guilt that frequently accompanies pregnancy and child rearing out of marriage. You may ask yourself: Why didn t she just seek an abortion? Women who get abortions have made a decision based on a reality of a pregnancy and the prospect of parenthood.
Women who kill their newborns have made no plans for the birth or care of a child; their decisions are primarily based in denial and dissociation.
Battering is the second leading cause of maternal filicide. These deaths are almost always accidental; and happen in the context of increased psychosocial stress (marital problems, housing/financial problems) combined with limited support. The mother had no clear impulse to kill but acted impulsively and aggressively with the unintentional death of the child.
Battering is the leading cause of paternal filicide (fatal child abuse). Fathers generally kill older children. They frequently have a history of drug and/or alcohol abuse, previous criminal records, and very high levels of environmental stress, and the murdered children often have had previous injuries. Paternal batterers tend to have a very low frustration tolerance (such as a baby crying), and may view the baby or child as a threat or as being willfully malevolent.
The Mentally Ill & Altruistic Filicide
Altruistic filicide is the murder of a child committed out of love. It is seen as a rational act by the parent, primarily the mother. Altruistic mothers are invested in being good mothers, but, because of delusional perception, believe that by killing their children, they re saving them from some awful fate or suffering. These mothers are frequently suicidal, are afraid of what will happen to the child or children after their intended suicide. The fact that they kill out of love is the most important feature that distinguishes this type of filicide from all other homicides.
Twenty-one percent of all filicides are committed by parents during a period of severe mental illness or during a psychotic episode. These mothers are older (late 20s, early 30s) frequently married, and have less psychosocial stressors than mothers who kill in the context of fatal child abuse. They also kill older children. They frequently have had a significant history of mental illness: bipolar disorder, depressive disorders, schizophrenia, melancholia, manic depressive disorders and personality disorders.
Postpartum depression affects 10 22% of adult women within the first year after the baby s birth. Postpartum depression signs and symptoms include: depressed mood, crying, severe anxiety, loss of interest or pleasure in activities, changes in appetite or sleep, extreme fatigue, difficulty concentrating/making decisions and thoughts of suicide. They may also experience delusional thoughts, especially related to the infant, which significantly increases the risk of abuse.
However, infanticide (killing of an infant) is most often associated with postpartum psychotic episodes. The woman experiences command hallucinations to kill the infant. She frequently has delusions that the infant is possessed. Postpartum psychoses this severe occurs in one out of 500 1000 deliveries. Postpartum psychosis usually follows postpartum depression. The risk of reoccurrence with each subsequent delivery is between 30 50%.
Seventy-five percent of filicide parents displayed symptoms of mental illness prior to the child s death, 40% had seen a psychiatrist shortly before the crime, and almost half of the filicidal mothers had received inpatient psychiatric treatment. Approximately half of all mothers who kill their children make suicide attempts after the homicide.
Additional Motives for Filicide
- Euthanasia:The mercy killing of a sick and suffering child.
- Unwanted child:The parent kills a child for reasons of illegitimacy or uncertain paternity. These killings may be through acts of violence or severe neglect.
- Spousal revenge:Parents may want to get back at a partner for some reason such as infidelity or losing a custody hearing.
Methods of Filicide
Parents only used firearms in 20% of filicides, whereas more than 60% of murder defendants used a gun to commit homicide. Parents frequently do not plan on killing the child, and there is a sense of intense passion during the act. Children were more likely to be drowned, shaken, beaten, poisoned, stabbed or suffocated. Women usually kill children in a method that involves close and active physical contact with the child, such as shaking, manual battering, suffocation or drowning. They may use more indirect methods such as poisoning or drowning while the children are asleep or sedated. Whereas, fathers are more likely to strike, squeeze or stab the child. They are also more likely than women to use weapons. Suffocation, strangulation and drowning are the most common methods used to kill neonates.
Filicide & the Legal Process
Juries are generally more lenient with female filicide offenders than males. The jury may have a hard time placing an accused mother in the common perception of a murderer. Or they may feel that the guilt and shame she has experienced has been punishment enough. Men are much more likely to be convicted and sent to prison. There are 30 countries around the world, including Canada, Britain and Australia, where murder charges are ruled out and women are allowed to plead to lesser charges if the murders are committed during the first year after birth.
Because of the nature of the crime, a plea of insanity is presented in about 20% of maternal filicide defense cases. The insanity plea is used in less than 1% of all criminal cases. However, the success of insanity defenses isn t guaranteed in cases of filicide: It was a voluntary, frequently premeditated and methodical crime. The bottom line is the same for all insanity defenses: Did the parent know that the act violated a law? Did they have the ability to refrain from the act? Was the act morally justified?
For Law Enforcement Officers
Filicide remains an unthinkable offense; from the officer who arrives first on the scene, to a motherly juror or to the average citizen watching the evening news. Cases where parents kill their children continue to shock communities and nations. Prediction of a filicide is extremely difficult, but warning signs do exist. If you re on patrol and see a young woman concealing a pregnancy, talk to her, discuss options and give community referrals.
If you respond to a family disturbance call and there are children in the house, take some extra time to ask a few questions. Is either parent capable of suicide? If so, are they also capable of homicide? Are the children in the house? How is their behavior? What are their ages?Remember:Children under the age of 6 months are at the greatest risk for filicide. Does the mother have a history of mental illness? Is she getting treatment? Have Child Protective Services been involved with either parent in the past? Is the father intoxicated? Does he have a short fuse? Do the children look well and fed? Is their behavior age-appropriate?
If the hairs on the back of your neck are standing up, assess if you have enough probable cause for an involuntary commitment to a mental health facility. If not, put the house on extra patrol list, and follow up if you can. Make a referral to CPS if you have any suspicions about the child s or children s welfare. Parental filicide can be prevented.
