Mariticide as an Extreme form of Family Violence

Bledar Xhemali Zija Ismaili

doi:10.4172/2332-0915.1000145

Abstract

Family violence remains a major public concern in Albania, under the sociological, psychological, forensic and medical points of view. An overview of the crime of murder, its prevalence and perpetrating means will lead to some conclusions that might shed light regarding motivations, and therefore might be helpful when sketching preventive strategies. We describe the case of a stabbing parasternal-myocardial injury leading to heart tamponade and cardiac shock, ending up in death of one spouse (husband). Mariticide is a relevant part of homicides in general, with killing of one’s husband being nevertheless far less frequent that uxoricide (killing of one’s wife). Characteristics of the stabbing injury perpetrated with a kitchen knife, and respective pictures, are included in the present paper. An evaluation of environmental factors promoting aggressive behavior, and situational parameters, are hereby discussed. Frustration, alcohol abuse, mental health, socio-economic hardships are some of the predicting or risk factors for family abuse, that might lead to family disruption, violent behaviours and eventually mariticide.

Highlights

Violence has been a major issue of concern to social and public policies since the dawn of humanity, and the reportedly increased prevalence during some periods of time might have been biased due to a diversity of reasons
In spite of all controversies related to the prevalence of family violence, otherwise of violent acts in general, the felonies and illtreatments have been a major subject of forensic science, psychiatry, psychology and sociology in general
We present the case of a mariticide, with the wife of a middleage Albanian man stabbing her husband to death with a single edged blade knife

Summary

Introduction

Violence has been a major issue of concern to social and public policies since the dawn of humanity, and the reportedly increased prevalence during some periods of time might have been biased due to a diversity of reasons. Nowadays, increased reporting due to over coverage of events from an exuberant mass media, not necessarily means that the prevalence per se is higher. In spite of all controversies related to the prevalence of family violence, otherwise of violent acts in general, the felonies and illtreatments have been a major subject of forensic science, psychiatry, psychology and sociology in general. Among risk factors leading to violent acts inside families, and eventually to murder, authors have count alcoholism, low economic and social status, insufficient education, multiple children families and other circumstantial features. If alcohol has an undisputable and largely confirmed role, other drugs of abuse with cannabis at the top of the list, seem to contribute to aggressive and violent behavior, including intimate partner violence [8]. Biology in itself does not support such a conjecture [9]

Case Study

Findings

Discussion