@article{ref1,
title="Homicide-suicide offences: Description, classification and short case studies",
journal="Journal of criminal psychology",
year="2015",
author="Stürup, J. and Caman, S.",
volume="5",
number="3",
pages="177-187",
abstract="PURPOSE - Although homicide-suicide (H-S) offences are rare, they have remarkably tragic consequences. The purposes of this paper are to: examine the background characteristics of H-S offenders (including previous offending history and psychiatric elements); describe the crime-scene behavior and examine the motivational aspects of the offences; and to establish the reliability in the outlined typologies. <br><br>DESIGN/METHODOLOGY/APPROACH - The study consists of case series of all H-S offenders in Sweden, January 1, 2007 to December 31, 2009 (n = 13), and data was collected from medico-legal autopsy reports, police investigations and three national databases.<br><br>FINDINGS - Of all Swedish homicides, 5.5 percent consisted of H-S cases, and the rate of H-S was 0.05 per 100,000 inhabitants. Seven of the offenders had had previous contact with a psychiatric service, however, the average time between the last contact and the offence was slightly more than four years. Three of the offenders had previously been convicted of a violent crime and nine of the 13 offenders were involved in serious marital conflicts during the time of the offence. In conclusion, the study supports the notion that cases of H-S are mainly associated with intimate partner homicides, rather than suicide or other homicides. However, the offences were not always directly aimed toward the (former) spouse, but instead carried out through a proxy (such as a common child).<br><br>ORIGINALITY/VALUE - The study adds in-depth knowledge by using a qualitative approach in an otherwise scarce area of research. © Emerald Group Publishing Limited.<p /><p>Language: en</p>",
language="en",
issn="2009-3829",
doi="10.1108/JCP-01-2015-0002",
url="http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/JCP-01-2015-0002"
}