Homicide and Suicide in Yorkshire and the Humber

Abstract

Homicide-suicide (HS) events in Yorkshire and the Humber have been documented previously by Milroy in a study of the period 1975 to 1992 (Milroy, Med Sci Law. 1993;33:167-171; Milroy 1994; Milroy, Forensic Sci Int. 1995;71:117-122; Milroy, Med Sci Law. 1995;35:213-217; and Milroy, J Clin Forensic Med. 1998;5:61-64). Reported here is an update of that study covering HS events in the same region from 1993 to 2007. Data from cohort 1 (1975-1992) and cohort 2 (1993-2007) are presented and compared, where data are available, with the findings of 2 previous studies in England and Wales (Barraclough and Harris, Psychol Med. 2002;32:577-584; and West 1965). Homicide followed by suicide is often defined in the literature as homicide(s) followed by the suicide of the perpetrator within 1 week of the homicide(s) (Barraclough and Harris, Psychol Med. 2002;32:577-584; Campanelli and Gilson, Am J Forensic Med Pathol. 2002;23:248-251; and Hannah et al, 1998;19:275-283). All the cases reported here fall within this definition. Findings are consonant with international literature, and suggest that HS is most likely to be carried out by an older, white, married, or cohabiting working man, who kills his female partner and/or their children and then himself. There are indications that restricting access to significant methods of killing can reduce the incidence of HS.