Maternal filicide is defined as the murder of a child by its mother. Many classifications have been elaborated based on underlying motives such as altruism, mental pathology, fatal maltreatment, spousal revenge, or an unwanted child. Pathological filicide refers to cases in which the perpetrator has a major psychiatric illness. Related literature is sparse. The present work proposes to identify the main characteristics of mentally ill filicidal mothers. This study was based on data gathered through a retrospective chart review of all filicidal women admitted to the Henri Colin secure unit (France) between 1996 and 2019 (N = 17). Most filicidal mothers had a dysfunctional childhood marked by emotional neglect, intrafamilial violence, or social isolation. They were often married, on average about 32 years old. We found a history of attempted filicide in 3 cases, and abuse or neglect in 3 other cases. The victim's average age was 6.2 years old, and in several cases, multiple siblings were murdered. Half of the filicidal mothers had a history of psychiatric disorders. Three different diagnoses were found in our study: bipolar or depressive disorders (41.2%); schizophrenia or other psychotic disorders (41.2%); personality disorders (17.6%). We identified two subgroups, as having different motivational profiles. In the first group, filicide is a defensive reaction to a perceived threat:The murder is committed under the influence of hallucinations or delusions. In the second group, filicide is linked to a context of separation, real or imagined. Several forensic and psychopathologic features associated with each profile are detailed.

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Women remain a small minority of homicide offenders and appear to be understudied in the scientific literature. Gender‐specific characteristics are however identified by existing studies. The aim of the study was to explore homicides committed by women with mental disorders, by analyzing their sociodemographic, clinical features, and criminological circumstances of the homicide. We conducted a retrospective and descriptive study among all female homicide offenders with mental disorders hospitalized in a French high‐secure unit over a 20‐year period (n = 30). We found that the female patients we studied were a diverse group in terms of their clinical profiles, backgrounds, and criminological characteristics. Confirming previous studies, we observed an over‐representation of young women, unemployed, with a destabilized family situation and history of adverse childhood experiences. Prior self‐ and hetero‐aggressive behavior were frequent. We found a history of suicidal behavior in 40% of cases. Their homicidal acts often occurred impulsively at home, in the evening or at night and were mainly directed toward family members (60%), especially their child(ren) (46.7%), then acquaintances (36.7%), and rarely a stranger. We found symptomatic and diagnostic heterogeneity: schizophrenia (40%), schizoaffective disorder (10%), delusional disorder (6.7%), mood disorders (26.7%), and borderline personality disorder (16.7%). Mood disorders were exclusively unipolar or bipolar depressions, often with psychotic features. The majority of patients had received psychiatric care prior to the act. We identified four subgroups, according to psychopathology and criminal motives: delusional (46.7%), melancholic (20%), homicide‐suicide dynamic (16.7%), and impulsive outbursts (16.7%). We consider that further studies are necessary.

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