Child homicide on the territory of Belgrade

Abstract

Objective This study examines the incidence and other epidemiological and medico-legal characteristics of child homicide in the territory of Belgrade, Republic of Serbia. Methods We performed a retrospective analysis of all autopsies carried out at the Institute of Forensic Medicine in Belgrade during a 15 year period between 1991 and 2005, focusing on homicide cases of victims aged 0–14 years. These were then analyzed in terms of number of deaths, mortality rates, age, and sex of the victim, relation to the perpetrator, and cause of death and injury. Results Forty-six homicides were identified where the victims were aged 0–14 years. These included 24 girls and 22 boys. In 32 cases (69.6%) the perpetrator was one of the child's birth parents, more frequently the mother. Blunt head trauma was the most frequent cause of death, followed by exsanguination. In 9 cases (19.5%) there was evidence of physical abuse; 16 children died in the setting of multiple homicide and/or murder/suicide. In 4 cases (8.7%) there was evidence of neglect which contributed to the fatal outcome. There were 10 cases of neonaticide within the 46 homicides. There were, however, 49 further cases where bodies of newborn infants were discovered after having been disposed of in suspicious circumstances. Conclusions Proportionally, the largest number of victims fell within the 1–4 years age group, with a slight preponderance of females, most of them killed at home by a close family member, usually the mother. Blunt head trauma was the single most frequent cause of death. Injury patterns consistent with child abuse were identified among 20% of the study group.