Maternal Filicide and Mental Illness in Italy: A Comparative Study

Abstract

This retrospective records review study of maternal filicide in Italy compared the demographic, historical, clinical, victim, and offense/forensic characteristics of mothers with (MI) and without (NMI) severe mental illness. MI mothers were found to be older, married, more intelligent, and unemployed at the time of their crime. They were more likely to be in psychiatric outpatient treatment and to have a history of suicide attempts. NMI mothers were more likely to have given birth in a nonhospital setting and to have a younger-aged victim. MI mothers were more likely to have confessed to their crime, but at trial almost all were acquitted by reason of insanity. Implications of the data for treatment planning and prevention are discussed.

Keywords

Infanticide maternal filicide mental illness prevention

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