A retrospective study of murder–suicide at the Forensic Institute of Ghent University, Belgium: 1935–2010

Abstract

Murder followed by suicide (M–S) is a rare phenomenon that has been studied in several countries. Previous studies show that offenders of M–S are predominately men who live in an intimate relationship. Amorous jealousy is often the trigger to commit M–S. Shooting is the most common way to kill a partner and/or children. In general, women are likely to become victims. The aim of this study was to identify M–S and detect patterns of M–S in the district of Ghent and the surrounding areas, since no research on this event was conducted in Belgium. Over a period of 75 years, a total of 80 M–S incidents was recorded involving 176 individuals. Eighty-six percent of the offenders were males and 14% were females. Murder–suicides were mostly completed with firearms. The main motive for offenders to execute M–S is amorous jealousy (56%), followed by familial, financial, or social stressors (27%). In addition, three types of M–S were selected (e.g., spousal murder–suicides, filicide–suicides, and familicides–suicides). Our results suggest differences in these types of M–S in which younger couples’ intentions were amorous jealousy; as for older couples the prominent motive was mercy killing; most likely women killed their children and only men committed familicides. Finally a study of the evolution during this period was carried out.