Intimate partner homicide-suicide a 5-year case review (2004-08)

Abstract

Homicide followed by suicide is an extremely rare tragic incident, specially in the context of intimate partner violence. The aim of this 5-year retrospective study, from 2004 to 2008, in the Lisbon area, is to provide a better understanding, in a medicolegal perspective, of intimate/partner homicide-suicide. Database of the Department of Forensic Pathology was analysed concerning all the incidents involving at least a female homicide victim and a related suicide or suicide attempt. According to our study, 54% of all intimate partner homicides were followed by suicide (71%) or suicide attempts (29%); 71% with one single victim and 29% were double homicide with involvement of children/young adults; in most cases, the male homicide perpetrator was older and married to the victim; the majority of incidents occurred at the victim’s home; firearms were used in most cases, to both homicide and suicide, with the same single anatomic location injuries in the head area. The results gathered are in accordance with other similar studies, and point towards the importance of prevention programs and the enforcement of existing domestic violence laws