P02-65 - Battered women who kill their children: the cycle of violence

Abstract

Infanticide and neonaticide is a worldwide troubling phenomenon as well as in Russia. Researches found out that domestic abuse against women is often one of the main causes of crimes of violence in women.AimsTo find out clinical and social factors contributing to specific female crimes - infanticide and neonaticide.MethodsPsychopathological, psychological, statistical.ResultsA cohort of 16 females who had killed their children was examined. All women were victims of violence by their husbands or partners. Domestic abuse resulted in long-term mental problems of women. Clinical assessment has revealed depression, anxiety, fear, PTSD, alcohol abuse.There were two types of homicides. Women of the first subgroup (9) had committed infanticide and they displayed pathological altruistic motivation of the crime. Women of the second subgroup (7) had committed neonaticide. Alongside with clinical factors neonaticide reflects mostly social factors. Women of the second subgroup were younger and often exposed to psychogenic situations with high level of stress (financial and housing problems, concealment of illegitimate pregnancy, violence of the partner). In accordance with the Criminal Code of Russia the special article (106) governs infanticide and neonaticide. This law takes into account the psychogenic situation which caused the crime (battered women syndrome) and the fact that at the time of child murder the mental state of mother was affected by childbirth.ConclusionIn cases of infanticide and neonaticide the court is free to make verdict more lenient and its reflects more humane approach to such complicate phenomenon as child murder.