Fathers and Murders: a retrospective study of paternal filicide in Italy

Background: An amount of literature has heavy focused on homicidal mothers. Nevertheless, due to the lower frequency of these events, yet little is known about the paternal filicides. Aim. The purpose of this study was to identify the spatio-temporal coordinates, authors and victims characteristics, and the context in which these murders take place, in order to identify specific patterns. Methods. We analyzed 76 events occurred in Italy, between 1996 and 2012 involving 134 victims. The data were collected through a careful and thorough review of the daily press and encoded on a Excel ® sheet specially designed for data collection. Results. Findings show a significant incidence of psychiatric disorders, history of violent behavior, employment problems and low-skilled professional roles. In particular, violence seems to be determined by the fear of loss which is more common among the common law partner and among youngest male, especially when son is far. Conclusion. The in-depth analysis of the phenomenon may contribute to its best knowledge and to identify the areas on which psycho-social intervention, based on prevention best practices, are required.