Matricide, parricide, and filicide: Are major mental disorders or personality disorders involved? Assessment of criminal responsibility in Brazilian cases.

Abstract

Violence committed by individuals with severe mental disorders has become a growing focus of interest among physicians, law enforcement officials, and the general population. Homicide involving relatives, specially parricide, matricide, and filicide, despite the relatively low incidence of these crimes, may be enigmatic, so forensic psychiatrist are frequently called on the courts to answer questions about insanity and criminal responsibility. The current study aims to describe Brazilian cases of parricide, matricide, and filicide associated with presence of major mental disorders and personality disorders, discussing the assessment of criminal responsibility in each case. The case series described were specifically related to people with mental illness, as bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and borderline personality with comorbidity of drug abuse. Two of them were considered not guilty by reason of insanity, and the other one was considered partially criminally responsible, according to Brazilian Law and Forensic Psychiatric Reports of the cases. The justice determined compulsory psychiatric treatment for all of them. The question of criminal responsibility of individuals with mental disorders is challenging for criminal justice, psychiatry, and society. Adequate treatment is mandatory to prevent crimes involving mental disorders, as shown in literature. The verification of criminal responsibility is essential for persons' adequate referral in any system of criminal law, thus protecting human rights and referring those who need psychiatric treatment.