Analysis of Parricide and Filicide in Korea / 대한법의학회지

Parricide, the crime of murdering a parent, accounts for about 5% of all homicides. Filicide is the crime of murdering one's own child. This study aimed to review demographic features and criminal characteristics of individuals who committed parricide and filicide in Republic of Korea (ROK). This study is based on data from the Korea Police Crime Analysis System, from 2006~2013. We assessed the diverse characteristics of both victims and perpetrators. Over the selected period, 381 parents were killed by their children and 230 children were killed by parents in the ROK. Parricides caused by schizophrenic murders accounted for 39.6% of all cases. Moreover, approximately 44.4% of the perpetrators attempted suicide following the maternal filicide. In our findings, psychiatric illness was a very important predictor in parricide, and these further suggest that young mothers with severe mental illness require careful monitoring by mental health support service.

Matricídio, seguido de canibalismo e automutilação de pênis e mão em paciente esquizofrênico motivado por delírios religiosos / Matricide, followed by cannibalism and self-mutilation of penis and hand in a schizophrenic patient motivated by religious delusions

INTRODUÇÃO: A automutilação em pacientes psiquiátricos ocorre, sobretudo, associada a psicoses esquizofrênicas ou tóxicas, podendo estar relacionada a crenças religiosas, impulsividade, abuso de substâncias e outros sintomas psicóticos como alucinações ou delírios. MÉTODO: Relatamos o caso de um jovem de 22 anos que cometeu matricídio, seguido de canibalismo e automutilação do pênis e mão direita em primeiro surto psicótico, motivado por delírio religioso. RESULTADOS: Relatos de mutilação genital e olhos em pacientes esquizofrênicos são encontrados na literatura médica, contudo são raríssimos os casos que cometeram tais atos em primeiro surto psicótico. O matricídio é menos frequente que o parricídio e o agressor é geralmente filho homem. CONCLUSÃO: Trata-se de um caso grave, complexo e possivelmente o primeiro caso descrito na literatura de matricídio seguido de canibalismo e automutilação do pênis e mão.

INTRODUCTION: Self-mutilation in psychiatric patients is primarily associated with schizophrenic or toxic psychoses and may be related to religious delusion, impulsivity, substance abuse or other psychotic symptoms such as hallucinations or delusions. METHOD: We report the case of a twenty-two-year-old who, motivated by religious delusion, committed matricide, followed by cannibalization and mutilation of the penis and right hand in his first psychotic episode. RESULTS: Reports of mutilation of genitals and eyes in schizophrenic patients are found in medical literature; however, there are few cases where such acts were committed in the first psychotic episode. Matricide is generally less common than patricide, and the offender is usually the male son. CONCLUSION: This is a case that is severe, complex, and possibly the first case described in the literature of matricide followed by cannibalism and mutilation of the penis and hand.