Mothers who kill: Cross-cultural patterns on contemporary maternal filicide

1. Mothers who kill: Cross-cultural patterns on contemporary maternal filicide Based on research by Michelle Oberman (2003)

2. Maternal filicide • Is not random or unpredictable crime • It is actually imbedded in • And responsive to the society in which it occurs

3. One fundamental similarity Mother was unable to parent their child under the circumstances dictated by: • Position in society • Place • Time

4. Best way to protect children • Reevaluate societal norms which govern motherhood and women’s status

5. Neonaticide • Killing of one’s offspring within the first 24 hours of life • Typically involve young women • Wide range of socio-economic, religious and racial background • The women deny that they are pregnant

6. Denial triggered by fear they will be cut off by social support network • Boyfriends almost always leave as soon as they realize their condition

7. Neonaticide • Have a true sense of fear regarding their pregnancy • Tend to be deeply ambivalent • Due to religion, culture, money, ambivalence and immaturity, they are unable or unwilling to pursue either abortion or adoption

8. Disassociate • From their own bodies during pregnancy • Deny the inevitable • Mistake labor pains for a need to defecate • Overwhelming majority give birth on the toilet

9. Often give birth in complete silence • This could be caused by psychotic dissociation • Subsequent psychiatric evaluation reveals that prior to pregnancy • Suffered from severe dissociative states • Associated with history of early abuse and chaotic family life

10. Fatal child neglect • Not intentional killings • Usually occurs when mother is distracted from or inattentive to her child’s needs • Example: babies who die in tub while mom answers phone in another room

11. Occasionally the mom was socializing while the child is left unattended • Majority of these moms live alone • Isolated • Relatively poor

12. Historically • Fatal child neglect would have been treated as tragic accidents • Contemporary U.S. this is treated as homicides

13. Abuse-related maternal filicide • Women who kill during an episode of violent abuse • Sometimes it is a single act of violence • Majority of cases there is a long history of child abuse

14. Predictable patterns in abuse-related deaths • Specific hours during each day children are most at risk of death by homicide • Coincide with mealtimes and bedtimes • Often stressful, arguments and need to disciple (even in stable loving households)

15. Assisted or coerced maternal filicide • Women who kill in conjunction with their male partner • Reflects the overlapping problems of domestic violence and child abuse • Most of these moms fail to intervene to protect their child from harm

16. Purposeful maternal filicide • Mothers manifest some degree of mental illness • Combination of mom’s mental illness and her relative isolation as primary caretaker • Occurs when severely ill women who are expected to care for their children, without any outside support for extended periods

17. Andrea Yates • History of suicidal behavior and post partum depression • Hospitalized one month prior to drowning her five children • Doctor and family knew she was suicidal

18. Andrea felt pressured to • Return home to her family • Home schooling four of her children • Caring for newborn • Attending to her frail mother • Mourning the death of her father from Alzheimer's

19. Rusty Yates worked long hours • He refused to have outside babysitters in his home • Andrea’s only relief was when her mother-in-law visited (which was rare)

20. Contemporary India • In developed nations sex ratio is 1050 females to 100 males • In India sex ratio is 927 females to 1000 males • Only explanation for a sex ratio that favors males is social intervention

21. Excessive female child morality is caused by several factors • Female maternal filicide • Prenatal screening and sex-selective abortion • Neglect of the nutritional and health care needs for girl children

22. Underlying cause of female maternal filicide in India • Low status of women • Decreasing fertility • Son preference • Spread of dowry across all caste groups

23. Unlike in the U.S. • Women who commit neonaticide do not conceal their pregnancies • They are married and not isolated • Families are aware of their pregnancies • And often insist unwanted daughters are destroyed

24. Contemporary Fiji • Majority of the population are of Indian descent • Unemployment rate is high • Most live in rural setting • Access to family planning services is limited • Abortion is illegal • Births outside marriage are scorned

25. Similar to U.S. • Most neonaticidal moms concealed their pregnancy • Little evidence of gender specific maternal filicide • No dowry system

26. Historically • When a culture has stringent restrictions on women’s sexuality • Including illegal abortions, lack of contraception and single parenting is not accepted • Neonatides will increase

27. Contemporary Fiji • Domestic violence is common • No neglect-related maternal filicide occurs

28. Contemporary Hungary • Declining birth rate (-0.5%) • Government has pronatalist policies • Police statistics: one child is murdered by its mother every week • 50% of these cases involve infants

29. Starting in 1994 • Government introduced new measures • Halted funding of contraceptive pills • Monthly income is $100 (U.S.) and the pill costs $3.50

30. 80% of adolescents are sexually active • Large percentage do not usual any form of contraception • Abortion is restricted. Woman must prove a “crisis situation” before it is allowed

31. Vulnerabilities of Hungarian women • Hard to secure employment and housing • Sexual harassment in the workplace is virtually epidemic • There are no laws against sexual harassment • Domestic violence is commonplace • Few shelters, no restraining orders exist

32. Rape is viewed as a “private” crime • Age of consent is 14 • Rape victims’ behavior is seen as material element in the case

33. Hungary is learning the hard way • Restricting abortion does not necessarily result in higher birth rates • Good sex education and subsidized contraceptives are needed • You cannot force women to have babies against their wishes