Focus on Children Murdered by Parents in Italy: a Sad Reality
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
SIGNA VITAE 2018; 14(1): 49-52 Focus on children murdered by parents in Italy: A sad reality PIETRO FERRARA1,2, MASSIMO PETTOELLO-MANTOVANI3, FRANCESCO CAVALERI2, ROBERTA AU- TUORI2, ANNAMARIA SBORDONE2, MARIA AMATO2, IDA GIARDINO4, FRANCESCA IANNIELLO1, VA- LERIA SANNICANDRO1, ANTONIO CHIARETTI1, ANTONIO RUGGIERO1, ALBERTO VERROTTI4 1 Institute of Pediatrics, Catholic University Medical School, Rome, Italy 2 Service of Pediatrics, Campus Bio-Medico University Medical School, Rome, Italy 3 Institute of Pediatrics, University of Foggia, Istituto di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifco “Casa Sollievo”, Foggia, Italy 4 Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Foggia, Foggia, Italy 5 Department of Pediatrics, University of L’Aquila, L’Aquila, Italy Corresponding Author: Pietro Ferrara Institute of Pediatrics Catholic University Medical School L.go Francesco Vito, 1 00168, Rome, Italy Phone: +39.06.30154348 Fax: +39.06.3383211 E-mail: [email protected] [email protected] ORCID 0000-0001-9449-3464 ABSTRACT Infanticide (from the Latin infantis cidim afer the law on anonymous childbirth or caedium which means the killing of came into force, that allows the mother not With a documented history of over a cen- those who cannot talk yet) is, on the other to recognize the child and leave it in the tury, it is noted that child murders, perpe- hand, the killing of a child within the frst hospital to ensure its care and legal protec- trated by their own parents, are an inter- year of life. Filicide occurs when the victim tion. (4) esting and dramatic phenomenon in the is over one year of age. In contrast, there has been a sharp increase Italian territory. Tere are three forms of Te legal defnition currently in force in the in the number of flicides in Italy over the child homicides: neonaticide, infanticide Italian Criminal Code is provided by article past 15 years, with 379 cases in the whole and flicide. 578, entitled "Infanticide in Conditions of period, and a peak in 2014 when 39 fli- Tanks to several legal reports and studies, Material and Moral Abandonment", which cides took place, one every 10 days, 77% it is possible to draw the profle of the typi- states: "Te mother causing the death of more than in 2013. Te flicides of under cal murderer: usually a young, Northern her newborn immediately afer childbirth, 14s have increased, from 9 cases in 2013 Italian woman, unemployed, in a confict- or of the fetus during childbirth, when the to 24 in 2014 (+166.7%). 61.5% of flicides ing relationship and sufering from psy- fact is determined by conditions of mate- were committed by fathers, mostly of older chiatric disorders. In most cases, the crime rial and moral abandonment related to children, and 38.5% by mothers, espe- takes place at home. No particular method childbirth, is punished with imprisonment cially of children under 14 years of age. for committing the murder is preferred, from four to twelve years”. (1) (5) In 2015, newspapers described 3 cases but the death of the child can be due to dif- of infanticide. (6-8) Tere were 10 cases ferent causes. in 2016. (9-16) Until June 21st 2017 there Precautionary measures should be taken: THE SITUATION IN ITALY OVER THE were 7 cases. (17-23) parents should never be lef alone facing LAST CENTURIES Te highest number of flicides occurred health or psychiat-ric problems, families in Northern Italy. Lombardia is the region should be helped and supported during From 1880 to 1883, 30 cases of child mur- where the highest number of flicides took difcult times, women should be well-in- der occurred annually, in Italy. From 1906 place, accounting for 17.4% of all cases, formed and aware of their rights. to 1911, there were 47 cases each year. followed by Emilia Romagna (10.4%) and Key words: forensic science, neonaticide, in- From 1950 to 1959 there were 75 cases per Lazio (10%). (24) fanticide, flicide, childhood, rights year. In the following ten years, there were It is assumed that ten thousand children 54 child murders per year. Tere was a rap- have sufered serious injury or permanent id decline afer 1978. Tis evidence could harm in the last 40 years, at the hands of INTRODUCTION be linked to the law on voluntary termina- their mothers and fathers. Moreover, mur- tion of pregnancy. (2) About 500 infanti- derous parents usually choose rudi-men- Te murder of children by their parents cides have been perpe-trated since 1970. tary weapons and horrifc scenes of crime, can be divided into three forms: neonati- (3) Between 2001 and 2008, there were 58 which heightens the chilling dramatiza- cide, infanticide and flicide. infanticides committed by mothers (8.28 tion of these most unfortunate children's Te term neonaticide refers to cases where infanticides per year) but the number de- deaths. (3) homicide occurs immediately afer birth. clined (3 in 2010, 2 in 2011 and 2 in 2012) SIGNA VITAE | 49 THE PROFILES OF THE MURDERER ability to understand and take action, and gas asphyxiation, stabbing, drowning, or AND THE VICTIM AND OTHER DATA social danger, hospi-talization in a psychi- shooting with frearms. (27) REGARDING THE CRIME atric court is considered for 56% of cases; in 13% there is detention in prison; in 6% Te outline of the murderous mother is of cases, community or psychiatric hospi- CLASSIFICATIONS varied. A study conducted on more than talization occurs. (2,25) 50 reports carried out from 1967 to 2003 Te victims are males in 53% of cases, fe- In 1969, Resnick already proposed an in- on the entire Italian territory asserts that males in 47%, younger than one month of teresting classifcation of flicide. (28) As a in most cases the parents’ age was from age in 16% of cases, between one month result of a study carried out from 1951 to 26 to 32 years. 56% of them were born in and one year in 20%, and between 2 and 1967, he highlighted fve categories of fli- the North of Italy and 30% in the South 6 years in 36%. In 89% of cases the victims cide and underlined that minors at higher of Italy; 42% had dropped out of middle did not exhibit any physical or mental ill- risk are those up to six months of life. Te school and 25% of elementary school. 19% ness. (2,25) aforementioned 5 categories identifed by had completed their secondary ed-ucation Te type of crime involved in flicide can the author are the following: and 3% had graduated. 61% were married, difer: the murder or the attempted murder 1. “Altruistic flicide” is when the mother 14% single, 15% lived with their partners, of just one child occurs, in 61% and 24% kills her child with the intention of and 9% were separated. Tey had a con- of cases, respectively. In 6% of cases there saving him or her from a pre-existing ficting relationship with their partners in are more victims. Te crime takes place illness and then commits suicide (“ex- 33% of cases, a good rela-tionship in 28%, at home more ofen than outdoors (85% tended suicide”). and had an absent husband in 10%. 58% vs 11%). At home, homicide occurs more 2. “Highly psychotic flicide” occurs when were housewives, 8% employed in facto- frequently in the bathroom (64%), in the a parent kills his or her child during im- ries or unemployed, 5% of them were bedroom (20%) and rarely in the dining perative command hallucinations. students or pensioners, 3% secretaries. In room (13%). No particular way to commit 3. “Unwanted child flicide” occurs when 62% of cases they came from middle class the murder is preferred: homicide is com- the child is seen as the result of an ex- families and in 28% from middle-low class mitted with drowning (19%), sufocation tramarital relationship or because the families. 52% only had one child, 33% had (18%), puncture and cutting (15%), with mother is immature and adolescent or two children, 15% three or more children. defenestration (15%), with strangulation close to menopause. Suicide attempts (25) (10%) or using a frearm (4%). (2) are un-common in this case. In 74% of cases, at the time of the ofense, 4. “Accidental flicide” occurs when the the perpetrators already sufered from mother causes the child’s death in an psychiatric disor-ders and received care THE CAUSES OF DEATH impulsive gesture due to frequent cry- at local health services (55% depression, ing and screaming of the baby, even 11% psychosis, 8% dissociative syn-drome, Te death of the fetus or of the infant may though she is generally not prone to vi- etc.), while in 29% they had no disorder. In occur naturally in relation to non-criminal olence. Tese mothers are ofen afected 69% of cases there were previous warning causes, such as pre-maturity, congenital by personality disorders, irritability, inci-dents, 35% had clear signs of distress, disease, and umbilical haemorrhage. Dur- and impulsive behaviour. Tey ofen and 25% had been admitted into psychiat- ing delivery, the infanticide of the baby is sufered abuse in early life; the husband ric hospitals. A quar-ter of the women with not so frequent but, it is possible and it can is also ofen disinterested in the prob- psychiatric problems had tried committing be due to cranial contusion, perforation of lems of his wife. suicide at least once, and 5% had already the fon-tanelles or airway obstruction. (26) 5. Lastly, there is “flicide due to revenge tried to kill the future victim. So, with re- Te main causes of death of a newborn on the spouse”.