title: A retrospective study of murder-suicide at the Forensic Institute of Ghent University, Belgium: 1935-2010.
abstract: Murder followed by suicide (M-S) is a rare phenomenon that has been studied in several countries. Previous studies show that offenders of M-S are predominately men who live in an intimate relationship. Amorous jealousy is often the trigger to commit M-S. Shooting is the most common way to kill a partner and/or children. In general, women are likely to become victims. The aim of this study was to identify M-S and detect patterns of M-S in the district of Ghent and the surrounding areas, since no research on this event was conducted in Belgium. Over a period of 75 years, a total of 80 M-S incidents was recorded involving 176 individuals. Eighty-six percent of the offenders were males and 14% were females. Murder-suicides were mostly completed with firearms. The main motive for offenders to execute M-S is amorous jealousy (56%), followed by familial, financial, or social stressors (27%). In addition, three types of M-S were selected (e.g., spousal murder-suicides, filicide-suicides, and familicides-suicides). Our results suggest differences in these types of M-S in which younger couples' intentions were amorous jealousy; as for older couples the prominent motive was mercy killing; most likely women killed their children and only men committed familicides. Finally a study of the evolution during this period was carried out.
authors.affiliation: Ghent University, Belgium.
authors.forename: Eva
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: De Koning
authors.forename: Michel H A
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Piette
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D017677:Age Distribution; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001530:Belgium / Q000453:epidemiology; D002423:Cause of Death; D002492:Central Nervous System Depressants / Q000097:blood; D000431:Ethanol / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D049429:Forensic Pathology; D006708:Homicide / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000453:epidemiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D017678:Sex Distribution; D013405:Suicide / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000401:mortality; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D002492:Central Nervous System Depressants; D000431:Ethanol
keywords: Belgium; amorous jealousy; familicide; filicide; mercy killing; murder-suicide; retrospective study