title: Parricide: a comparative study of matricide versus patricide.
abstract: Between 1990 and 2005, 64 parents were killed by their children in the province of Quebec, Canada. The authors reviewed all consecutive coroners' files on these cases and found that 27 mothers and 37 fathers were the victims of parricide. The sample included 56 perpetrators: 52 sons and 4 daughters; 9 cases of double parricide were found. Approximately 15 percent of the perpetrators (8/56) attempted suicide following the parricide. A psychiatric motive (stemming from depression or psychotic illness) was determined for 65.5 percent (36/56) of the perpetrators, and 67 percent of them had a psychotic disorder. Similarities and differences were found between cases of matricide and patricide.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychiatry, University of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. dbourget@rohcg.on.ca
authors.forename: Dominique
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Bourget
authors.forename: Pierre
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Gagné
authors.forename: Mary-Eve
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Labelle
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001344:Autopsy; D017579:Domestic Violence / Q000523:psychology* / Q000639:trends; D005260:Female; D005555:Forensic Psychiatry; D006708:Homicide / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence* / Q000523:psychology / Q000639:trends; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010287:Parent-Child Relations / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D011792:Quebec / Q000453:epidemiology