The forensic-psychiatric aspects of homicides, committed by women with various levels of mental health
Suggested citation:
Golenkov AV. [The forensic-psychiatric aspects of homicides, committed by women with various levels of mental health]. Rossiiskii psikhiatricheskii zhurnal [Russian Journal of Psychiatry]. 2016;(3):4-10. Russian
Forensic psychiatrists acknowledge the importance of considering sexual differentiation when studying criminal aggression (homicides). Aim: To compare forensic-psychiatric aspects of the homicides committed by women with various level of mental health. Methods: Representative sample of 295 forensic experts' official reports (fiducial probability of 99% and confidential interval of 4.5% for 436 females which were examined between January 1981 and December 2010) of the forensic-psychiatric examinations of female homicide offenders aged from 15 to 89 years (middle age – 37.6 ± 17.8 years) performed in Republic Psychiatric Hospital, Cheboksary (the Chuvash Republic). Three groups were pointed out: female homicide offenders without mental disorders (MD) (the first group, n=149); the women having MD and comorbid MD, but recognized imputed (the second group, n=118); female homicide offenders with major psychiatric disorders and found not guilty by reason of insanity (the third group, n=28). All cases were retrospectively examined including medical files, social demographic indicators and forensic experts' official reports. The data were analyzed by means of descriptive statistics, Pearson chi-square ( 2), one-way ANOVA and multiple regression analysis. Results: Women of three compared groups significantly differed in age, education level, relationship status, aggression orientations, tools of murder and a condition of intoxication/ sobriety at the time of commission of the delict. Perpetrators without MD killed the husbands (cohabitants, mates) more often, had the highest education level. Female homicide offenders from the second group had a criminal record more often, killed their acquaintances with whom they drank alcohol, more often in a state of intoxication. Women from the third group (female homicide offenders found not guilty by the reason of insanity) were the most age-related group, directed aggression on the fathers who abused alcohol, used some ways of murder. Conclusions: Female homicide offenders differ on the level of mental health which correlates with criminological and psychosocial variables.
1. Häkkänen-Nyholm H., Putkonen H., Lindberg N. et al. Gender differences in Finnish homicide offence characteristics // Forensic Sci. Int. 2009. Vol. 186, № 1-3. P. 75-80. 2. Rossegger A., Wetli N., Urbaniok F. et al. Women convicted for violent offenses: adverse childhood experiences, low level of education and poor mental health // BMC Psychiatry. 2009. Dec. 22. P. 9-81. 3. Голенков А.В., Сергеев М.П., Березанцев А.Ю. Профилактика внутрисемейной агрессии мужчин с психическими расстройствами: метод. рекомендации. М., 2009. 20 с. 4. Bourget D., Gagné P. Women who kill their mates // Behav. Sci. Law. 2012. Vol. 30, № 5. P. 598-614. 5. Голенков А.В., Цымбалова А.Б. Клинико-эпидемиологическая и судебно-психиатрическая оценка убийств, совершённых женщинами с психическими расстройствами // Психическое здоровье. 2013. Т. 11, № 4 (83). С. 19-23. 6. Putkonen H., Weizmann-Henelius G., Lindberg N. et al. Changes over time in homicides by women: a register-based study comparing female offenders from 1982 to 1992 and 1993 to 2005 // Crim. Behav. Ment. Health. 2008. Vol. 18, № 5. P. 268-278. 7. Weizmann-Henelius G., Putkonen H., Naukkarinen H. et al. Intoxication and violent women // Arch. Women’s Ment. Health. 2009. Vol. 12, № 1. P. 15-25. 8. Putkonen H., Weizmann-Henelius G., Lindberg N. et al. Gender differences in homicide offenders' criminal career, substance abuse and mental health care. A nationwide register-based study of Finnish homicide offenders 1995-2004 // Crim. Behav. Ment. Health. 2011. Vol. 21, № 1. P. 51-62. 9. Flynn S., Abel K., While D. et al. Mental illness, gender and homicide: a population-based descriptive study // Psychiatry Res. 2011. Vol. 185, № 3. P. 368-375. 10. Качаева М.А. Судебно-психиатрическая экспертиза женщин // Руководство по судебной психиатрии / под ред. А.А. Ткаченко. 2-е изд., перераб. и дополн. М.: Юрайт, 2015. С. 412-425. 11. Дмитриева Т.Б., Иммерман К.Л., Качаева М.А. и др. Криминальная агрессия женщин с психическими расстройствами. М.: Медицина, 2003. 248 с. 12. Шумский Н.Г., Калюжная Н.Б., Ювенский И.В. Женщины-убийцы. Очерки судебной психиатрии. СПб.: БАН, 2004. 246 c. 13. Leites G.T., Meneghel S.N., Hirakata V.N. Female homicide in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil // Rev. Bras. Epidemiol. 2014. Vol. 17, № 3. P. 642-653. 14. Meneghel S.N., Hirakata V.N. Femicides: female homicide in Brazil // Rev. Saude Publica. 2011. Vol. 45, № 3. P. 564-574. 15. Голенков А.В. Эпидемиологические и судебно-психиатрические аспекты убийств, совершенных больными алкоголизмом и коморбидными состояниями // Наркология. 2011. Т. 10, № 10 (118). С. 30-35. 16. Ткаченко А.А. Теоретические и правовые основы понятий «невменяемость», «ограниченная вменяемость», «уголовно-процессуальная дееспособность», «потенциальная опасность» // Руководство по судебной психиатрии / под ред. А.А. Ткаченко. 2-е изд., перераб. и дополн. М.: Юрайт, 2015. С. 122-173. 17. Aldridge M.L., Browne K.D. Perpetrators of spousal homicide: a review // Trauma Violence Abuse. 2003. Vol. 4, № 3. P. 265-276. 18. Stöckl H., Devries K., Rotstein A. et al. The global prevalence of intimate partner homicide: a systematic review // Lancet. 2013. Vol. 382 (9895). P. 859-865. 19. Hellen F., Lange-Asschenfeldt C., Ritz-Timme S. et al. How could she? Psychosocial analysis of ten homicide cases committed by women // J. Forensic Leg. Med. 2015. Nov. №36. P. 25-31. 20. Valença A.M., Nardi A.E., Nascimento I. et al. Homicide by a forensic female sample in Brazil: a preliminary study // J. Forensic Sci. 2014. Vol. 59, № 3 P. 790-792. 21. Ferranti J., McDermott B.E., Scott C.L. Characteristics of female homicide offenders found not guilty by reason of insanity // J. Am. Acad. Psychiatry Law. 2013. Vol. 41, № 4. P. 516-522. 22. Мальцева М.М. Психопатологические механизмы общественно опасных действий больных с психическими расстройствами // Руководство по судебной психиатрии / под ред. А.А. Ткаченко. 2-е изд., перераб. и дополн. М.: Юрайт, 2015. С. 684-697. 23. Голенков А.В. Клинико-социальные особенности больных с бредом колдовства, совершивших общественно опасные действия // Рос.психиатр. журн. 2001. № 1. С. 41-44. 24. Golenkov A., Large M., Nielssen O. et al. Characteristics of homicide offenders with schizophrenia from the Russian Federation // Schizophr. Res. 2011. Vol. 133. № 1-3. P. 232-237. 25. de Melo Nunes A., Baltieri D.A. Substance misuse subtypes among women convicted of homicide // Subst. Abus. 2013. Vol. 34, № 2. P. 169-178.
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.24411/1560-957X-2016-1%25x
Article Metrics
Metrics powered by PLOS ALM