TY  - JOUR
PY  - 2021//
TI  - Epidemiological and forensic characteristics of intra-familial homicide in a Tunisian population: A retrospective study
JO  - Revue de médecine légale
A1  - Omri, S.
A1  - Guermazi, A.
A1  - Chaâri, I.
A1  - Smaoui, N.
A1  - Feki, R.
A1  - Maâlej Bouali, M.
A1  - Ben Thabet, J.
A1  - Zouari, L.
A1  - Charfi, N.
A1  - Maalej, M.
SP  - 157
EP  - 165
VL  - 12
IS  - 4
N2  - The popular conception of intra-familial homicide presents the perpetrator as a person who suffers from mental illness. The aim of this study was to establish the socio-demographic, clinical and criminological profile of the perpetrators of intra-familial homicide and to compare perpetrators with and without serious mental illness. We conducted a retrospective study of a series of 60 perpetrators of intra-familial homicide or attempted homicide, examined in a forensic psychiatric assessment, in the "C" psychiatry department at Hedi Chaker University Hospital in Sfax, between January 1st, 1996 and December 31st, 2018. The socio-demographic, clinical and criminological data were collected from psychiatric expert reports and medical files. The perpetrators of intra-familial homicide were predominantly men (81.7%). Their average age was 35.2 years. They had a history of past violence against their victim (60%). Intra-familial homicide perpetrators had no mental illness in 20 %. They met the diagnostic criteria for a DSM-IV-TR Axis I psychiatric disorders in 43.4% of cases. Twenty-seven cases (45%) were in a state of insanity at the time of the offense. The comparative study showed that perpetrators with serious mental illness were delusional at the time of the crime (P < 10−4), had more history of attempted suicide and violence against the victim (P = 0.017 and P = 0.033 respectively), admitted the crime more frequently (P = 0.04), committed less frequently intimate partner homicide (P = 0.016), and premeditated less frequently their crime (P = 0.008). Intra-family homicides are a complex phenomenon. Identifying specific risk factors will help implement better prevention strategies. © 2021 Elsevier Masson SAS<p /> <p>Language: en</p>
LA  - en
SN  - 1878-6529
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.medleg.2021.08.001
ID  - ref1
ER  -