HOMICIDE-SUICIDE: COMMON FACTORS IN SOUTH- AFRICAN POLICE SERVICE MEMBERS WHO KILL THEIR SPOUSE OR CONSORT AND THEMSELVES by COENRAAD WILLEM VAN DEN HEEVER submitted in accordance with the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY in the subject PSYCHOLOGY at the UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH AFRICA SUPERVISOR: PROF H C JANEKE October 2017 i Student number: 3256-420-1 I, Coenraad Willem van den Heever declare that HOMICIDE-SUICIDE: COMMON FACTORS IN SOUTH- AFRICAN POLICE SERVICE MEMBERS WHO KILL THEIR SPOUSE OR CONSORT AND THEMSELVES. is my own work and that all the sources that I have used or quoted have been indicated and acknowledged by means of complete references. _____________ ____________ C.W. van den Heever DATE (Mr.) ii Acknowledgements I wish to express my sincere appreciation to the following people for making this thesis possible: The Lord Almighty, my Creator, for this opportunity and His grace throughout my life. My loving wife Mia, for her love, support, and belief in me. My three children, Carmia, Ian, and Anrich for giving meaning to my life. My parents, Raymond, and Hester, for providing me with the necessary life skills to achieve my goals and ambitions. My promoter, Professor Chris Janeke, for his expert guidance and patience throughout this study. Retha Watson, for her friendship and continuous support. Major- General M.C. Mzamane from the South- African Police Service, for granting me permission to conduct research on police homicide- suicide killings. The brave survivors of a homicide- suicide attack who shared their experiences with me. Lastly, UNISA, for the bursary and the opportunity to further my academic qualifications. iii Summary Homicide-Suicide (H-S) is a rare but violent event in which an individual commits homicide and thereafter commits suicide. The H-S phenomenon appears to be increasing among members of the South African Police Service (SAPS). Although research on H-S is sparse, several SA studies have implicated the SAPS as a high risk occupational group for such killings. However, no systematic research that focuses on police H-S has ever been conducted within the RSA. The aim of this thesis is to determine the underlying causes of police H-S killings. The current national study included thirty-eight (38) police H-S cases over a two-year period (2012-2013). The macro, meso, and micro levels of analysis were utilised to study this phenomenon and to test both the socio-cultural and intrapsychic explanations of H-S. A mixed method approach was utilised, which involved both qualitative and quantitative methodologies. Information on H-S was collected via document analysis and interviews with survivors of an H-S attack. The data obtained from the documents were coded on the SAPS “Homicide-Suicide Incidence Coding Form” and the results of this analysis were presented graphically in both tables and charts. Three interviews were conducted with the survivors of these attacks and were qualitatively analysed. The SAPS displayed an H-S incidence rate of 24.27 per 100 000 police officers. A typical police H-S perpetrator is likely to be a black African male who is 35 years old with a Grade 12 education. He would hold the rank of a constable and would have a history of domestic abuse. His victim would usually be an intimate partner of the same race who would be younger than him. She would be employed as an administrative clerk and would be shot and killed multiple times by her amorous jealous boyfriend due to a heated argument or quarrel. The service pistol would be used to commit both H-S killings. Four main themes emerged from the transcripts, namely: Patriarchal dynamics in H-S relationships, Financial issues and the patriarchal order, The death wish (“Thanatos”) of the perpetrator and the H-S survivors as double victims. On the macro level, partial support was found for social iv integration theory, while the meso and micro levels of analysis supported the psychodynamic perspective. Key terms: homicide-suicide, murder-suicide, femicide-suicide, South-African Police Service (SAPS), patriarchy, masculinity, amorous jealousy, domestic violence, Hanzlick-Koponen typology, survivor. v Table of Content Acknowledgements iii Summary iv List of Tables xii List of Figures xiv Chapter 1 Introduction 1 The Challenges of a Police Career 3 Suicidal Behaviour 4 Homicide-suicide (H-S): An extended suicide. 5 Studying H-S on Three Different Levels 7 Macro level analysis. 7 Meso level analysis. 8 Micro level analysis. 8 Firearm Regulation and H-S 9 Summary 10 Preview of Subsequent Chapters 11 Chapter 2 Theoretical Background 14 Introduction 14 Definition of Terms 14 2.2.1 Homicide-suicide (H-S). 14 Epidemiological laws of H-S. 15 Classification typologies of H-S. 17 Specific types of H-S. 21 Major depressive disorder and H-S. 31 History and Suicide 34 Ancient Greece and suicide. 34 Ancient Rome and suicide. 35 Judaism, Christianity, Islam, and suicide. 36 Nineteenth century and suicide. 39 vi Contemporary view of suicide. 40 Theories of Suicide 44 Socio cultural explanations. 44 Intrapsychic explanations. 49 Biochemical explanations. 53 Tracking of H-S Events Within the SAPS 56 Suicide Prevention Within the SAPS 57 Summary 58 Chapter 3: Literature Survey 60 Introduction 60 H-S Incidence Rates 60 Common Factors in H-S 64 Mental illness. 64 Relationships. 66 Domestic violence. 69 Substance use and intoxication. 71 Weapon used. 73 Financial adversity. 74 H-S Profiles 75 Problem Formulation, Research Aims, and Questions 77 Summary 80 Chapter 4 Methodology 82 Introduction 82 Research Design 82 Sample Group 85 Situating the three respondents. 86 Measuring Instruments 87 The SAPS Suicide Follow-up Questionnaire. 87 SAPS H-S Incidence Coding Form. 88 Interview schedule. 91 vii Procedure 94 Techniques of Analysis 96 Quantitative analysis. 96 Qualitative analysis. 97 Ethical Considerations 99 Institutional approval. 99 Informed consent. 99 Debriefing and counselling of participants. 100 Protecting identities. 101 Summary 101 Chapter 5 Discussion of Results 103 Introduction 103 RA 1: To Explore the Demographic, Social, and Cultural Factors Associated with H-S in the SAPS, and Based on this, Establish an Incidence Rate for H-S in this Particular Occupational Sector for the 2012-2013 Research Period 103 The characteristics of the perpetrators, victims, and survivors of a police H-S attack. 103 The manner of death. 105 Year of death. 106 Provinces in which H-S killings were perpetrated. 106 The H-S incidence rate for the SAPS. 109 RA 2: To Determine Some of the Contextual Factors Associated with the Occurrence of H-S in the SAPS, and Investigate Social, Environmental Factors, and Interpersonal Relationships between the Victims and Perpetrators of H-S Killings 110 Gender of the individuals involved in a police H-S attack. 110 Age of the subjects involved. 111 Racial distribution. 114 Types of H-S killings. 115 Relationship between the perpetrators, the victims, and the survivors. 116 Living characteristics between the parties involved in H-S attacks. 120 viii Antecedent history related to the perpetrator. 121 Perpetrators level of education. 122 Ranking structure of the perpetrators. 124 Occupation of victims. 125 Occupation of survivors. 126 Method of death. 127 Number of wounds. 127 Location proximity and body location. 129 Presence of suicide notes and authorship. 130 Toxicological findings and intoxication before the act. 131 Motive for the act. 133 H-S profiles of a typical perpetrator and victim of such attacks. 134 RA 3: Further Explore the Personal Dynamics between a Perpetrator and a Victim in H-S and to Establish the Possible Role that Patriarchy Plays in Such a Relationship.135 Patriarchal dynamics in H-S relationships. 135 Financial issues and the patriarchal order. 140 The death wish (“Thanatos”) of the perpetrator. 142 H-S survivors as double victims. 143 Summary 148 Chapter 6 Discussion, Conclusions and Recommendations 150 Introduction 150 The Situational Factors in Police H-S Killings 150 Year of death. 150 Province of death. 151 H-S incidence rates. 151 Gender. 153 Age of the parties involved in an H-S attack. 155 Racial groups in H-S killings. 156 Types of H-S killing within the SAPS. 159 The relationship between the perpetrators, victims and the survivors. 160 ix The Living arrangements between the perpetrators, victims and survivors. 162 Information obtained on the perpetrator. 163 Socio- economic status of the victims and survivors. 169 Method of death- The prevalence of firearms. 170 Number of wounds. 172 Body location and proximity. 174 Suicide notes. 175 Toxicological findings (blood alcohol levels). 176 Motive for the final act. 178 The Role of Patriarchy in Police H-S Killings 180 The link between amorous jealousy and real or perceived infidelity. 181 Domestic violence and H-S. 182 The termination of an abusive relationship. 185 The perpetrators “Thanatos”. 186 The impact of ‘attempted’ homicide on the survivors. 187 Demographic Profiles in H-S Killings 189 Studying the H-S Phenomenon on Three Different Levels 192 Macro level of analysis. 192 Meso and micro levels of analysis. 193 Recommendations for Preventative Strategies 195 Training of the EHW professionals within the SAPS. 195 Sensitising employees as well as future police officers about H-S. 196 Debriefing sessions as indicators of relationship problems. 196 Firearm regulation during mental illness and domestic violence cases. 197 Conclusion 197 Limitations of the Study and Recommendations 199 Summary 201 References 203 Appendix A 225 South-African Police Service Suicide Follow-Up Questionnaire 225 x Appendix B 234 South African Police Service Homicide-Suicide Incidence Coding Form 234 Appendix C 244 Informed Consent Form 244 Appendix D 247 Semi-Structured Interview Schedule 247 xi List of Tables Table 1.1 Suicide rates for the SAPS for the period 2009 to 2012 ...........................................