Some Italian research on the phenomenon of filicide

Abstract

In this work on the phenomenon of filicide, structured on the basis of the examination of hundreds of cases from 1880 to 2010, the five causes were taken into account: the altruistic filicide, the high psychotic component, that of the unwanted child, accidental filicide, and the spouse revenge filicide. Following the observation of Resnick's (1969) 530 psycho-biographiesss, a more structured typing was developed which on the basis of their motive and/or psychopathology divides mother infanticide into 20 categories: the first 10 imply full imputability, stessor events, for piety, immaturity of the mother, hyperactivity of the child, the son of the blame, Medea syndrome, disturbance dependent, narcissistic, or histrionic personality, unwanted child, depression, behavioral disorders involved in the recruitment of drugs. The remaining 10 are those where there may be impairment of traceability for postpartum psychosis (Brief psychotic disorder), Fundus hysterical plus precipitating factors, major depression, schizophrenia, twilight state, psychotic disorder due to a general medical condition, epilepsy, oligophrenia, multiple sclerosis and multiple personality, which however appears to be quite rare. An examination of the causes of death concludes the work.