How could she? Psychosocial analysis of ten homicide cases committed by women

Hellen, Florence; Lange-Asschenfeldt, Christian; Ritz‐Timme, Stefanie; Verhülsdonk, Sandra; Hartung, Benno

doi:10.1016/j.jflm.2015.08.007

Cited by 11 publications

(12 citation statements)

References 22 publications

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“…2,7,8,9,16,17,18 Some studies indicate that approximately half of male perpetrators of IPH had not completed high school and the majority of female offenders have limited educational achievements. 19,20 This is contrary to our findings which showed that 14% of the sample had not completed secondary education.…”

Section: Discussioncontrasting

confidence: 99%

“…A high percentage of accused persons (44%) were unemployed at the time of the offence, a finding consistent with those of most studies. 5,7,19,21,22,23 The finding that there is an association between employment status and fitness to stand trial corresponds with the findings of another South African study. 24 In a study that examined characteristics of IPH perpetrators, mental illness was rarely diagnosed before the incident, 17 contrary to a Dutch study which showed that 59% of offenders had previous contact with psychiatric services.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 87%

“…Multiple studies revealed that 14% -20% of alleged IPH perpetrators, referred for forensic psychiatric observation, were deemed not criminally responsible because of the presence of a psychiatric disorder. 3,7,19,21 Our study showed similar results (18%). This reinforces the need to refer accused persons of IPH for forensic psychiatric observation.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 82%

“…1,2,3,9,23 Female IPH offenders show less previous criminality compared to their male counterparts. 8,19,21 In SA, domestic violence is quoted as the main causal factor that results in IPHs. 20 It is very uncommon for a fatal act of violence against a partner to be the first occurrence of IPV.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…6,8,25 Alleged perpetrators killed their intimate partners most often in private residences, using a knife or firearm, which is supported by previous research. 2,3,6,8,9,17,18,19,20,25,27 Despite the high incidences of substance use in cases of non-fatal IPV, and a study indicating that a significant relationship exists between male perpetrators' alcohol abuse and violence against intimate female partners, 28 some studies reveal that most IPH perpetrators did not use alcohol or drugs at the time of the homicide, in spite of their normally high substance abuse rates. 1,2,8 This was similar to our http://www.sajpsychiatry.org Open Access findings which showed that 69% of the sample reported not using substances at the time of the offence.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Characteristics of persons accused of intimate partner homicide amongst forensic psychiatric observations

Valabdass

Subramaney

Edge

2021

South African Journal of Psychiatry

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Background: Intimate partner homicide (IPH) is a global public health problem. One study conducted over 66 countries found that 13.5% of all homicides and 38.6% of female homicides were committed by an intimate partner. In South Africa, there were no published studies that examine alleged perpetrators of IPH that were referred for forensic psychiatric observation.Aim: To describe the profile of accused persons referred for forensic psychiatric observation for a charge of murder or attempted murder of their intimate partners. Certain characteristics were further examined according to the psychiatric observation outcomes.Setting: The study was conducted at Sterkfontein Hospital, a forensic psychiatric hospital in Gauteng, South Africa.Methods: A retrospective record review of accused persons referred for forensic psychiatric observation for a charge of murder or attempted murder of their intimate partners was conducted. The period of the review was 19 years. The definition of intimate partners included current or former spouses and partners, same-sex partners and rejected suitors.Results: One hundred and sixty-three files, which included forensic psychiatric reports, were reviewed. The findings related to the profile of accused persons and offence characteristics indicated that: (1) history of violent behaviour is prevalent; (2) homicides mostly occur in private homes; (3) knives and firearms are most often used; (4) infidelity, separation and jealousy are common motives; (5) psychotic disorders, personality disorders and substance use disorders feature prominently. A total of 88% of the sample were found fit to stand trial and 82% were found criminally responsible. Factors significantly associated with being found fit to stand trial and criminally responsible following the forensic psychiatric observation were: male gender, having received a tertiary education, employment prior to the offence, earning a salary of more than R10 000, having no previous psychiatric or medical illness, a positive forensic history, previous intimate partner violence (IPV) perpetration, indicating a motive for the homicide, having no psychiatric illness at the time of the offence which would impact fitness to stand trial and criminal responsibility.Factors significantly associated with being found not fit to stand trial and not criminally responsible following the forensic psychiatric observation were: female gender, having received a primary education, unemployment prior to the offence, having a previous psychiatric or medical illness, no forensic history, no previous IPV perpetration, not indicating a motive for the homicide, having a psychiatric illness at the time of the offence which would impact fitness to stand trial and criminal responsibility.Conclusion: The characteristics highlighted in this study can contribute to the development of risk assessment tools which can be used to identify likely perpetrators of IPH. Other interventions, for example controlling access to knives and firearms, reducing substance abuse and improving mental health services, are also important in the prevention of IPH.

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