Familicide in Canada: 2010-2019
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ĂŶĂĚŝĂŶŽŵĞƐƟĐ,ŽŵŝĐŝĚĞ WƌĞǀĞŶƟŽŶ/ŶŝƟĂƟǀĞ FAMILICIDE IN CANADA: 2010-2019 Domestic Homicide Brief 9 July 2020 www.cdhpi.ca www.cdhpi.ca 1 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS The Canadian Domestic Homicide Prevention Initiative Suggested Citation: with Vulnerable Populations presents its ninth Boyd, C., Sutton, D., Dawson, M., Straatman, A.L., Homicide Brief, Familicide in Canada: 2010-2019. This Poon, J., Jaffe, P. (2020). Familicide in Canada: brief offers a summary of data collected through the 2010-2019. Domestic Homicide Brief 9. London, ON: Canadian Domestic Homicide Prevention Initiative with Canadian Domestic Homicide Prevention Initiative. Vulnerable Populations focusing on familicide – the ISBN: 978-1-988412-40-5. killing of multiple family members. Families living in rural, remote and northern populations appear to be Download copies of this brief at: particularly vulnerable offering implications for risk http://cdhpi.ca/knowledge-mobilization assessment, risk management and safety planning. THE CDHPIVP TEAM CO-DIRECTORS Myrna Dawson Peter Jaffe Director, Centre for the Study of Social and Legal Academic Director, Centre for Research & Education Responses to Violence, University of Guelph on Violence against Women & Children (CREVAWC), Western University [email protected] [email protected] MANAGEMENT TEAM GRAPHIC DESIGN Julie Poon, National Research Coordinator Elsa Barreto, Digital Media Specialist Anna-Lee Straatman, Project Manager This research was supported by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada. 2 www.cdhpi.ca FAMILICIDE Familicide is a type of mass killing that involves FAMILICIDE IN CANADA family members as victims (Malmquist, 1980). Definitions of familicide vary, often based on The Canadian Domestic Homicide Prevention the perpetrators’ relationship with their victims. Initiative with Vulnerable Populations (CDHPIVP), Some scholars define familicide broadly, such as a national research project on domestic homicide, one family member killing multiple other family has created a database that documents domestic members (Liem & Koenraadt, 2008). For the homicides in Canada between 2010 and 2020. purpose of this brief we are using the following The data sources are court and media records, definition: an individual killing his/her current or and data collection is currently ongoing. Data former spouse and at least one biological or step- for this brief come from the CDHPIVP database child (Wilson, Daly & Daniele, 1995). which contains information on 667 domestic homicide cases, involving 756 victims, that occurred in Canada from 2010 to 2019. Of the Familicide: an individual killing his/her 667 cases, 25 cases involving 69 victims and 25 current or former spouse and at least accused met the criteria for familicide, according one biological or stepchild (Wilson, to our definition above. The CDHPIVP data supports the assertion that familicide, or the Daly & Daniele, 1995). killing of a current or estranged intimate partner along with at least one child, continues to be rare as a total proportion of all homicides. Among all PREVALENCE OF FAMILICIDE domestic homicide cases identified nationwide between and including 2010 and 2019, less Familicide occurs very rarely in Canada and than four percent (N=25) can be classified as a elsewhere around the world but certainly has familicide, comprising nine percent of all domestic devastating effects when it does happen. homicide victims. Between 1974 and 1990, 61 incidents of familicide, involving 161 victims, occurred in Canada (Wilson During the 10-year time frame, there was on et al, 1995). When the focus is on homicides average 66.7 domestic homicide cases per year that occurred between 1961 and 2003, there and 2.5 familicide cases per year. Therefore, the were 127 incidents of familicide involving 279 information about familicides presented in this victims (Statistics Canada, 2005). Beyond these brief is based on a small number of cases, but figures, there is little existing documentation focusing on them can help to provide context of the prevalence of familicide in Canada for these types of killings and contribute to more despite it being the most common type of nuanced risk assessment, risk management and mass killing, a finding true for both Canada and safety planning. elsewhere (Duwe, 2004). Based on historical data, familicide–suicide, defined as the killing of family members followed by the perpetrator’s Familicides in Canada 2010 – 2019 suicide, occurred on average once a year in the Netherlands between 1992 and 2005 (Liem & 25 cases involving 69 victims Koenraadt, 2007). In England and Wales, one out of every 72 homicide victims was a victim of familicide and in Canada between 1974 and 1990, Just over two-thirds (68%) of all familicide cases one in 69 was a victim of familicide (Wilson et (N=17; 55 victims) involved the killing of a primary al, 1995). Of the solved homicide-suicides that victim who belonged to one or more of the four occurred in Canada between 1961 and 2003, 14 vulnerable groups focused on by the CDHPIVP. in 100 victims was a victim of familicide-suicide Specifically, of the 69 victims, 31 children (less (Statistics Canada, 2005). than 18 years old) were killed alongside the primary victim in 21 cases. Among the 31 child victims, 14 lived in an RRN region of the country, www.cdhpi.ca 3 five were Indigenous, and two were second- CHARACTERISTICS OF FAMILICIDE generation immigrants, highlighting intersecting PERPETRATORS vulnerabilities of victims in these cases. Another 17 adult victims, comprising 12 cases, were killed Previous research regarding familicide in an RRN area of the country, three of which perpetrators has focused on demographic were Indigenous. Four cases involved the killing information and found that familicide is almost of immigrants/refugees with seven adult victims exclusively perpetrated by men (Mailloux, total.1 Finally, eight Indigenous victims were killed 2014), aged 30 to 40 years (Liem & Koenraadt, in three familicide cases, all of which occurred 2008). The CDHPIVP data is consistent with in an RRN area of the country, which, again this research. All but one of the accused in highlights intersecting vulnerabilities. Not only do the familicide cases were male (N=24) with an Indigenous peoples experience increased risk of average age of 39 years. violence because of the effects of colonization but that risk is compounded by living in rural areas (e.g., due to factors such as social isolation, Common Characteristics of Familicide service barriers, presence of firearms, etc.) Accused (Doherty & Hornosty, 2008; Holmes & Hunt, 2017; Jeffrey et al, 2019; Peters et al, 2018) y Primarily male y 30 to 40 years of age y History of domestic violence y Accused more likely to commit suicide FIGURE 1: AGE OF ACCUSED (N) 1 2 18-24 years 8 25-34 years 35-44 years 45-54 years 10 55-64 years 3 1 One case involved the killing of seven family members, two of which were children, and an unintended victim (for a total of 8). The primary victim and accused were immigrants but the children were born in Canada. The immigration status of the unintended victim was not reported in public documents. 4 www.cdhpi.ca Figure 1 shows the number of accused in age likely to be unemployed or struggling financially categories. The majority of accused fell within (Mailloux, 2014). In the CDHPIVP data, when this the 25-to-34- year age category (N=10), followed information was available (60% of the cases), just closely by 45-to-54 years (N=8). The age of one over one-third (N=9) of accused held full- or part- accused was unknown. time employment at the time of the familicide. History of domestic violence: There is often CHARACTERISTICS OF FAMILICIDE a history of domestic violence by familicide VICTIMS perpetrators including physical violence, intimidation and threatening behavior (Johnson & While multiple victims are killed in familicide Sachman, 2014). Although a history of domestic cases, it is typically the case that a primary violence is not always reported by police, this victim can be identified as the main target of the information is often reported by family, friends perpetrator. Other victims are often biological and neighbours to media after the familicide or stepchildren (Lefevre et al, 2011; Liem & occurs. The CDHPIVP data indicates that among Koenraadt, 2008), but they may also be parents, those accused of committing familicide, there relatives, or those unrelated to the perpetrator was a documented history of violence against but related to the victim (e.g., new partner) or the primary victim in just over half of all cases bystanders. Prior research documents that the (N=13). Among those with a documented history primary victims are mostly adult women, usually of domestic violence, physical violence was in a legal marital relationship with the perpetrator most commonly experienced (N=8), followed (Mailloux, 2014). Of the familicides committed in by emotional/psychological (N=5), coercive Canada between 2010 and 2019, consistent with control (N=3), and an equal proportion of victims other studies, all but one of the primary victims reported sexual, economic, or another type of was an adult female (N=24) who was either violence (N=1 each).2 Victims were most likely the current or estranged legal or common-law to report the violence to police (N=4), family partner of the accused. More than half (64%) of members (N=4), or both (N=1), with the remaining the victims were in a current relationship with the confiding in friends (N=2), coworkers (N=1), accused as shown in Figure 2. or neighbours (N=1). It is expected that these numbers are still an underestimation of the Although the average age of primary victims history of domestic violence in these cases. within the CDHPIVP dataset was 36 years, almost half of the victims were between 25 and 34 years of age. Figure 3 shows the distribution of victims by age group. When primary victims were 18-24 years 1 in 2 cases of familicide reported a killed in an RRN area of the country (N=12), they history of domestic violence.