| 1. |
- Bäckstrom, Björn, et al.
(författare)
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Injury-Related Healthcare Use and Risk of Filicide Victimization : A Population-Based Case-Control Study
- 2019
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Ingår i: Journal of Forensic Sciences. - : Wiley-Blackwell. - 0022-1198 .- 1556-4029. ; 64:1, s. 166-170
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Research on child‐related risk factors for filicide is scant. We investigated whether prior healthcare use for injury (including poisoning) influences filicide risk. Victims (0–14 years; n = 71) were identified in a national autopsy database for the years 1994–2012 and compared to matched, general population controls (n = 355). Healthcare use data were retrieved from a national patient registry. Risks were estimated using odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). For females, prior inpatient care for injury conferred a statistically significant sevenfold risk (OR = 6.67 [95% CI: 1.49–29.79]), and any prior injury‐related healthcare use conferred a statistically significant fourfold risk (OR = 3.57 [95% CI: 1.13–11.25]), of filicide victimization. No statistically significant risks were found for males. Healthcare personnel should be aware that children treated for injuries, especially females, may be at an elevated risk of filicide victimization. Nevertheless, the filicide base rate remains low, and parents may be stigmatized by unfounded alerts; thus, prudent reflection should precede reports to the authorities.
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| 2. |
- Hedlund, Jonatan, et al.
(författare)
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A population-based study on toxicological findings in Swedish homicide victims and offenders from 2007 to 2009
- 2014
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Ingår i: Forensic Science International. - : Elsevier. - 0379-0738 .- 1872-6283. ; 244, s. 25-29
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Background and objectives: Previous research on the toxicology of homicide has shown that about half of offenders and victims have psychoactive substances in their blood. The purpose of this study was to examine this topic in a Swedish setting. Methods: Toxicological data were sought in a database for all victims (n = 273) and perpetrators (n = 257) of homicide in Sweden from 2007 to 2009. Sufficient tests were identified for 97.1% of all victims (n = 265) and 46.7% of all offenders (n = 120). Additional information was obtained from court records and police reports. Results: A majority of individuals involved in homicides displayed positive toxicology (57.0% of victims and 62.5% of offenders). The most commonly detected substances, in both victims and offenders, were ethanol (44.9% vs. 40.8%) and benzodiazepines (8.3% vs. 19.2%). The difference between offenders and victims concerning benzodiazepines was statistically significant (OR 2.6; p = 0.002). Perpetrators of homicide-suicide had a lower prevalence of positive toxicology (30.8%) than other homicide offenders (66.4%; p = 0.04) and victims in unsolved cases more often exhibited positive drug toxicology compared to victims in solved cases (36.1% vs. 8.3%; p less than 0.001). Conclusions: The results of the study support the notion that substance abuse is firmly linked to committing homicide and to becoming a victim thereof.
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| 3. |
- Hedlund, Jonatan
(författare)
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Child and adult homicide in Sweden : epidemiological and forensic features
- 2018
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Doktorsavhandling (övrigt vetenskapligt/konstnärligt)abstract
- Homicide occurs worldwide and is often regarded a major public-health concern. The studies comprising the present thesis were conducted with a view to advancing knowledge of both child and adult homicide from the viewpoints of different branches of forensic science. In study I, forensic-toxicological data for the years 2007–2009 were retrieved for 120 perpetrators and 265 victims of homicide. Ethanol was the most commonly detected substance, followed by benzodiazepines, which were significantly more common in offenders than victims. Also, perpetrators of homicide–suicide significantly more often displayed negative toxicology than non-suicide homicide offenders. Moreover, victims in unsolved cases were significantly more often positive for narcotics than victims in solved cases. In studies II and III, 200 adult homicide victims and 105 adult homicide offenders were compared by means of logistic regression with 1629 (study II) and 1643 (study III) controls who had lost their lives in vehicle accidents. We found (study II) that ethanol conferred 2-fold and 4-fold risks of homicide victimization and offending, respectively; after stratification by sex, risk estimates were about 3-fold greater in females than males for both homicide offending and victimization. In study III, by comparing prescription data with toxicology data, we found that discontinued treatment with antidepressants conferred a significant 6-fold risk of homicide offending, but no risk increase with regard to homicide victimization; with regard to discontinued treatment with antipsychotics and mood stabilizers, a 7-fold risk was found for homicide offending. For GABA-ergic hypnotics, 2–5-fold risks were found for homicide offending and victimization irrespective of whether treatment had been prescribed or not. In study IV, a range of characteristics from intra- and extra-familial child homicides during 1992 through 2012 are reported. Using Poisson regression, an average yearly decline of 4% in child homicides was uncovered. Substance misuse was found to be uncommon (8%) among child homicide offenders. Prior violent offenses were more common among perpetrators of filicide than filicide–suicide (18% versus 7%); and about 20% of offenders in each group had previously received psychiatric inpatient care. Surprisingly, a third of the extra-familial offenders fulfilled diagnostic criteria for an autism-spectrum disorder. In study V, using a matched case-control design, we found that prior inpatient care conferred a significantly elevated 5-fold risk of filicide victimization. The result was driven by a particularly high risk in females, as no significant risk increase was found in males after stratification by sex. In conclusion, toxicological findings indicate that ethanol and benzodiazepines are common in homicide offenders and victims; increased risks of homicidal outcome conferred by alcohol were uncovered, as well as increased risks of homicide offending conferred by the use of GABA-ergic hypnotics and the discontinued use of other psychotropic medications. Finally, rates and characteristics of child-homicide offenders and victims were reported, along with risks of filicide victimization conferred by prior healthcare use. Ideally, some of our results might be implemented in everyday healthcare practice and also be useful for homicide investigators and offender profilers.
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| 4. |
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| 5. |
- Hedlund, Jonatan, et al.
(författare)
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Intra- and extra-familial child homicide in Sweden 1992-2012 : A population-based study
- 2016
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Ingår i: Journal of Forensic and Legal Medicine. - : Elsevier BV. - 1752-928X .- 1878-7487. ; 39, s. 91-99
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Previous studies have shown decreasing child homicide rates in many countries - in Sweden mainly due to a drop in filicideesuicides. This study examines the rate of child homicides during 21 years, with the hypothesis that a decline might be attributable to a decrease in the number of depressive filicide offenders (as defined by a proxy measure). In addition, numerous characteristics of child homicide are presented. All homicide incidents involving 0e14-year-old victims in Sweden during 1992-2012 (n = 90) were identified in an autopsy database. Data from multiple registries, forensic psychiatric evaluations, police reports, verdicts and other sources were collected. Utilizing Poisson regression, we found a 4% annual decrease in child homicides, in accordance with prior studies, but no marked decrease regarding the depressive-offender proxy. Diagnoses from forensic psychiatric evaluations (n = 50) included substance misuse (8%), affective disorders (10%), autism-spectrum disorders (18%), psychotic disorders (28%) and personality disorders (30%). Prior violent offences were more common among offenders in filicides than filicideesuicides (17.8% vs. 6.9%); and about 20% of offenders in each group had previously received psychiatric inpatient care. Aggressive methods of filicide predominated among fathers. Highly lethal methods of filicide (firearms, fire) were more commonly followed by same-method suicide than less lethal methods. Interestingly, a third of the extra-familial offenders had an autism-spectrum disorder. Based on several findings, e.g., the low rate of substance misuse, the study concludes that nontraditional risk factors for violence must be highlighted by healthcare providers. Also, the occurrence of autism-spectrum disorders in the present study is a novel finding that warrants further investigation.
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