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Abstract Delusional misidentification syndromes in psychiatric disorders might result in dangerous behavior leading sometimes to homicide. An early diagnosis and thorough follow up is important to avoid such consequences.

Delusional misidentification syndromes in psychiatric disorders might result in dangerous behavior leading sometimes to homicide. An early diagnosis and thorough follow up is important to avoid such consequences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Copyright of Anagnórisis: Revista de Investigación Teatral is the property of Anagnorisis: Revista de Investigacion Teatral and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Despite abounding evidence for the harmful effects of synthetic anabolic-androgenic steroids, they are commonly misused for competitive and body-image reasons. Steroids are often used in the context of poly-drug misuse, which may mask their specific effects on behaviour, such as increasing aggression. We present our case report as a concrete example of current steroid-related substance-misuse trends. A 25-year old Finnish male with various psychiatric and drug-related symptomology, but almost no previous history of aggressive behaviour, battered his wife to death and mutilated her body after a five-week steroid regimen.

Background: While there is no doubt that parental intimate partner homicide is associated with strong grief and post-traumatic stress reactions among the children who have been bereaved, there is little in-depth insight into how children and young people see and describe their circumstances and needs. Objective: Our aim was to shed light on children’s and young people’s perspectives on their life after parental intimate partner homicide. In particular, we were interested in how they experienced their living arrangements, social environment, and general well-being. Method: We conducted semi-structured interviews with 23 children and young people (8–24 years old; 15 females and eight males) who had been younger than 18 years when one of their parents killed the other (21 children lost their mother, two children lost their father). We used thematic analysis to synthesize the findings. Results: While most participants were fairly content with themselves and their living arrangements, they also expressed substantial and persistent difficulties, including distress, conflicts between family members, and feelings of unsafety. Most importantly, children’s self-image, their perspectives on their biological parents, and their views on their broader (family) environment varied considerably from participant to participant, and also between siblings. Conclusions: It is unlikely that straightforward guidelines can be given with regard to where the children should live after parental homicide, or whether they should be in contact with the perpetrating parent. Rather, this study’s findings underline the need to explore children’s individual viewpoints carefully during decision-making processes.

Despite abounding evidence for the harmful effects of synthetic anabolic-androgenic steroids, they are commonly misused for competitive and body-image reasons. Steroids are often used in the context of poly-drug misuse, which may mask their specific effects on behaviour, such as increasing aggression. We present our case report as a concrete example of current steroid-related substance-misuse trends. A 25-year old Finnish male with various psychiatric and drug-related symptomology, but almost no previous history of aggressive behaviour, battered his wife to death and mutilated her body after a five-week steroid regimen. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nous proposons, à travers cette communication, un panorama, certes non exhaustif mais significatif, d’une variante assez répandue du meurtre de l’épouse dans la littérature et le cinéma : la mort par noyade. Nous étudierons quelques cas exemplaires que nous ne tirons pas, bien évidemment, de la vie réelle mais d’un répertoire de textes et d’images (les films), pour en dégager des constantes, en plongeant (c’est le cas de le dire) dans le roman et dans les traditions cinématographiques italienne, française et anglo-saxonne. Depuis la première et incontournable jeune femme morte dans l’eau (Ophélie, même s’il s’agissait en l’occurrence d’une sorte de suicide inconscient dicté par la folie) jusqu’aux typologies les plus récentes, nous proposons un travelling – qui ne doit rien au hasard – sur d’authentiques “cas” littéraires et cinématographiques, au sens d’“affaires” policières. Et nous tenterons de répondre à une question : pourquoi, parmi tant de modus operandi possibles (bien que tout à fait déconseillés, est-il besoin de le préciser ?), choisit-on de tuer sa femme “par voie d’eau” ? Et peut-on vivre heureux ensuite ?

In the early middle ages the customary practice of killing wifes who did not conformed to the accepted norms (by breaking sexual code, plotting against her husband, practicing witchcraft), or were only suspected of doing it, was generally considered legal and tolerable, as testified the legal sources from different parts of Europe. During the 8th and 9th centuries growing influence of the Church on the matrimonial matters and the consolidation of the doctrine about spiritual nature of christian marriage and marital relations inclined the ecclesiastical authorities to make efforts to eradicate this sinful practice from social life. The different texts of this period cast light on the tension between traditional morality based on the „economy of honour” and christian teaching. This tension disturbed the stability of value systems of early medieval society. Writings of Hincmar of Reims dealing with the theory of christian marriage and the limits of husband’s authority over his wife (De coercendo ed exstirpando raptu viduarum, puellarum ac sanctimonialium; De divortio Lotharii regis et Theutbergae reginae) are here analysed in order to reveal that canonists and moralists of this period were aware of these conflicts, and tried to harmonize the contradictory norms. Such practices as mediation between the spouses, public penance and monastic exclusion of the adulterous wife can be considered as a model of the strategies proposed by ecclesiastical authorities to protect the woman’s life and at the same time to preserve honour of her husband. However, in spite of the Church condemnation of uxoricide and dissemination of the Christian concept of the marriage, the several cases from the narrative and diplomatic records from the 9th century clearly demonstrate that killing the wife in the name of family’s honour was not only the accepted tradition, but it was also considered as the moral obligation of the husband or his male relatives. The refusal to fulfill such obligation, even in the name of Christian principles, could be dangerous not only for the social position of the husband but also for his male identity.Nell’alto medioevo la pratica di uccidere la moglie che non rispettava le norme accettate (infrangendo il codice sessuale, complottando contro il marito, praticando la stregoneria) o che era semplicemente sospettata di farlo era in linea di massima considerato un atto lecito e tollerabile, come testimoniano le fonti giuridiche di molte regioni europee. Tra il secolo VIII e il IX la crescente influenza della Chiesa in materia matrimoniale e il consolidamento della dottrina sulla natura spirituale del matrimonio cristiano e dei rapporti coniugali suggerirono alle autorità ecclesiastiche di impegnarsi a sradicare questa pratica peccaminosa dalla vita sociale. I differenti testi di questo periodo gettano luce sulle tensioni tra la moralità tradizionale basata sull’“economia dell’onore” e l’insegnamento cristiano. Questa tensione disturbava la stabilità del sistema di valori della società altomedievale. Gli scritti di Incmaro di Reims che affrontano la teoria del matrimonio cristiano e i limiti dell’autorità del marito sulla moglie (De coercendo ed exstirpando raptu viduarum, puellarum ac sanctimonialium; De divortio Lotharii regis et Theutbergae reginae) sono qui analizzati per mostrare come i canonisti e i moralisti di questo periodo erano consapevoli di simili conflitti e cercavano di armonizzare le norme contrastanti. Pratiche come la mediazione tra i coniugi, le penitenze pubbliche e l’esclusione monastica della moglie adultera possono essere considerate come un modello delle strategie proposte dalle autorità ecclesiastiche per protegger la vita della donna e allo stesso tempo per salvare l’onore del marito. Tuttavia, nonostante la condanna dell’uxoricidio da parte della Chiesa e il diffondersi della nozione cristina di matrimonio, i numerosi casi che emergono dalle fonti narrative e diplomatiche del secolo IX dimostrano chiaramente che l’uccisione della moglie in nome dell’onore della famiglia non solo costituiva la tradizione accettata, ma era anche considerata come un obbligo morale del marito o dei suoi parenti maschi. Il rifiuto di adempiere a tale obbligo, anche in nome dei principi cristiani, poteva essere pericoloso non solo per la posizione sociale del marito ma anche della sua identità maschile.

Background: The loss of a parent due to intimate partner homicide has a major impact on children. Professionals involved have to make far-reaching decisions regarding placement, guardianship, mental health care and contact with the perpetrating parent, without an evidence base to guide these decisions. We introduce a study protocol to a) systematically describe the demographics, circumstances, mental health and wellbeing of children bereaved by intimate partner homicide and b) build a predictive model of factors associated with children's mental health and wellbeing after intimate partner homicide. Methods/Design: This study focuses on children bereaved by parental intimate partner homicide in the Netherlands over a period of 20 years (1993 - 2012). It involves an incidence study to identify all Dutch intimate partner homicide cases between 1993 and 2012 by which children have been bereaved; systematic case reviews to describe the demographics, circumstances and care trajectories of these children; and a mixed-methods study to assess mental health, wellbeing, and experiences regarding decisions made and care provided. Discussion: Clinical experience and initial research suggest that the children involved often need long-term intensive mental health and case management. The costs of these services are extensive and the stakes are high. This study lays the foundation for an international dataset and evidence-informed decision making. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on a systematic review of empirical studies published between 2000 and 2011, it is identified homicide risk factors against women in the context of couple relationships, from 17 researches in USA, Australia, Spain, the UK and Netherlands. In particular, it is analyzes and discusses findings regarding to the risk factors from the focus of the perpetrator, the victim, the couple relationship and its context. Finally, it is concludes the need to identify and determinate specific risk factors for the Latin American context, discussing about the impact of public policies on violence against women and its influence on the level of life risk they experience. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A common form of violence against women is sexual coercion on the part of their husbands/partners, the uncontrollable effects of which can lead to extreme consequences, as in the case of uxoricide examined in this report. It involved a 59-year-old female alcoholic, under observation on the part of social services as the possible victim of abuse by her husband, an amputee with a transtibial prosthesis. The woman had never admitted to her social workers that her husband was abusing her. One night, she was admitted to hospital in a state of hemorrhagic shock due to massive vaginal bleeding, but despite treatment, she died 20 min after arrival. The anatomical-pathological examination conducted by the hospital revealed serious genital lesions which warranted reporting the case to the Judicial Authorities, who arranged for a forensic autopsy. The cause of death was identified as acute meta-hemorrhagic anemia in a cirrhotic woman, secondary to a large, irregular vaginal lesion involving both the vaginal wall and the soft perivaginal tissues as well as the medium and small urogenital vascular branches. To identify the foreign body used to inflict this injury, a scanning electron microscope and energy dispersive X-ray spectrometer (SEM-EDS) were used. This revealed tiny splinters of wood in the vaginal tissues examined. In addition to the genetic-forensic techniques used, this finding allowed the investigators to identify the husband's prosthetic limb as the instrument of sexual coercion. The report describes a particular case of marital rape that resulted in uxoricide, in which the overall concordance of the investigations carried out played a fundamental role in identifying the offending body and, consequently, the murderer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous studies of ancient Greek examples of uxoricide in pregnancy have concluded that the theme is used to suggest tyrannical abuse of power and that the violence is a product of the patriarchal nature of ancient society. This article uses evolutionary analyses of violence during pregnancy to argue that the themes of sexual jealousy and uncertainty over paternity are as crucial as the theme of power to an understanding of these examples and that the examples can be seen as typical instances of spousal abuse as it occurs in all types of society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Searching for "greener pastures," through education and skills learning, as well as escaping an increasingly failing Nigerian state, many Nigerian youth have moved to and acquired residency in Europe and especially United States and Canada. Approach: Whereas some, especially Nigerian males who arrived in the 1970s and 1980s and onwards married and settled down with spouses they met in their host countries, others were not so successful in their marriages or cohabitation with the locals, mostly White and African American women, as these marriages quickly broke down owing to cultural and values incompatibilities. With time rapidly passing and loneliness enveloping them, some have traveled to Nigeria, returning with the so-called "Fedexed" wives, several years, even decades younger. Again several of these often arranged marriages fail for several reasons, including patriarchy, conjugal conflicts and violence resulting in the men murdering their wives, some in gruesome and macabre ways. Results: This study applied the Intersectionality theory, predicated on patriarchy, culture, gender and power to evaluate some of the reasons for the marital tragedies, including the brutal murders of Nigerian women by their spouses in Nigerian families living in Europe, Canada and especially the United States. Conclusion: The study offered strategies for managing Nigerian and other Diasporic marriages, relationships and the attendant conflicts in such ways that Nigerians other ethnics who arrive in Europe and the Americas do not become statistics for such infamy as uxoricide (femicide) that ultimately draws long prison tenure or the lethal injection, while destroying their families forever. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The male and female identities of the late colonial neo-hispanic period were juridically defined. This opposition involved men's superiority and women's subordination in an asymetric relationship inside a patriarcal order. The murder of a woman by her own husband – uxoricide - reveals a conflict of that doesn't put into question women's subordination but expresses each one's conception about his own rights and obligations as well as his partner's ones. The confrontation between men and women was negociated on both the fields of expression and action. This particular quarrel ended with the murder of the wife.

In Botswana, local news media outlets have documented the prevalence of so-called 'passion killings'; however, no published studies have been conducted that examine these intimate partner homicides. Using ethnographic content analysis informed by a theory of framing, this study investigated the characteristics of these crimes, and societal attitudes, myths and stereotypes regarding intimate partner homicides and passion killings. Articles from four Batswana newspapers were analyzed. The information derived from this analysis is used to develop future directions for the study of intimate partner violence and homicides in Botswana. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the factors contributing to the decision of husbands to murder their wives instead of resorting to divorce in the U.S. The probable reason for such a decision is said to be the desire to escape responsibility and inconvenience associated with divorce, including alimony, loss of child custody and damage of reputation. Several spousal murders are cited including Herbert Eskridge who murder his wife Elsie and Rabbi Fred Neulander who allegedly conspire with assassins who bludgeoned his wife Carol resulting to her death in 1994.

This essay responds to D. Davis and W. C. Follette (2002), who question the value of motive evidence in murder cases. They argue that the evidence that a husband had extramarital affairs, that he heavily insured his wife's life, or that he battered his wife is ordinarily of infinitesimal probative value. We disagree. To be sure, it would be foolish to predict solely on the basis of such evidence that a husband will murder his wife. However, when this kind of evidence is combined with other evidence in a realistic murder case, the evidence can be quite probative. We analyze cases in which it is virtually certain that the victim was murdered but unclear who murdered her, and in which it is uncertain whether the husband murdered the wife or she died by accident. We show that in each case motive evidence, such as a history of battering or of infidelity, can substantially increase the odds of the husband's guilt. We also consider the actual case on which Davis and Follette base their paper. We argue that testimony of Davis on the basis of the analysis presented in their paper as properly excluded, for it would have been misleading and unhelpful. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A paper previously published in Law and Human Behavior by D. Davis and W. C. Follette (2002) argued that certain "profiling" characteristics commonly admitted into court have little or no probative value. They argued that this is especially likely to be true when the characteristic used as evidence (e.g., having an extramarital affair) is rather common in the population whereas the act in question (e.g., a man murdering his wife) is rare. Their analysis has prompted a strong response by Friedman and Park and by Kaye and Koehler with a rejoinder by Davis and Follette (all three follow this paper in this issue of Law and Human Behavior). This paper describes some of the nature of this controversy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is a cross-culturally ubiquitous connection between men's sexual possessiveness and men's violence. Accounts of uxoricides or wife killings from a broad range of societies have been studied, and it is found that male sexual proprietariness, broadly construed to encompass resentment both of infidelity and of women's efforts to leave marriages, is everywhere implicated as the dominant precipitating factor in a large majority of cases. The discovery of wifely infidelity is viewed as an exceptional provocation, likely to elicit a violent rage, both in societies where such a reaction is considered a reprehensible loss of control and in those where it is considered a praiseworthy redemption of honor.

this article explains the concept of unconscious self-defense, referencing the case of uxoricide. In light of all the evidence in hand, and particularly of that which accords to castration anxiety a central place in the understanding of the murder, a new concept emerges for forensic psychology--unconscious self-defense. When an individual on the basis of identification with a hated parent suffers from an unconsciously apprehended threat of castration, the stage is set for the triggering of an act of murder that may in essence proceed from a need to defend one's own life. Since the law has long recognized and even justified the killing of others in conscious self-defense, it may not be out of place to suggest that some consideration be given to such unconscious self-defense. One would not argue that defendants of this type should be forthwith exonerated, but if one regards crime as personal-social disease and not merely as formal violation of a legal code, the present concept can serve as a basis for understanding and treatment that would scarcely be possible without it. An offender like the above would require residence in an institution where he could be studied and perhaps cured of his dangerous unconscious orientation.

Dentro del ingente conjunto de manuales de educación femenina de los siglos XVI y XVII español, el caso de la Vida política de todos los estados de mujeres del padre Juan de la Cerda resulta ejemplar por un sinnúmero de razones. Entre éstas, el presente trabajo se propone analizar las secciones consagradas al problema social del uxoricidio, tan frecuente en su tiempo. Esta práctica cultural representa una ruptura donde la consonancia pedagógica entre religiosos y seglares se quiebra. En esta confrontación no se escatima ningún tipo de argumento -incluso los más irreverentes en términos teológicos- en aras de la ejemplificación de una tesitura que tiene por único y central cometido apartar a los consortes de un pecado legitimado socialmente.Amongst the vast set of manuals for female education in the XVI and XVII centuries, the case of Vida política de todos los estados de mujeres ("The Political Life of all Women States") by the Spanish father Juan de la Cerda is exemplary for a number of reasons. The purpose of the present paper is to analyze the sections of Cerda's book devoted to the social problem of uxoricide so prevalent in his time. This cultural practice represents a rupture in which the pedagogical concord between the religious and secular representatives was broken. In this confrontation no arguments were spared -even the most irreverent in theological terms-, for the sake of exemplification of a claim whose unique and central role was to remove the consorts of a socially legitimized sin.

Background: While there is no doubt that parental intimate partner homicide is associated with strong grief and post-traumatic stress reactions among the children who have been bereaved, there is little in-depth insight into how children and young people see and describe their circumstances and needs. Objective: Our aim was to shed light on children's and young people's perspectives on their life after parental intimate partner homicide. In particular, we were interested in how they experienced their living arrangements, social environment, and general well-being. Method: We conducted semi-structured interviews with 23 children and young people (8–24 years old; 15 females and eight males) who had been younger than 18 years when one of their parents killed the other (21 children lost their mother, two children lost their father). We used thematic analysis to synthesize the findings. Results: While most participants were fairly content with themselves and their living arrangements, they also expressed substantial and persistent difficulties, including distress, conflicts between family members, and feelings of unsafety. Most importantly, children's self-image, their perspectives on their biological parents, and their views on their broader (family) environment varied considerably from participant to participant, and also between siblings. Conclusions: It is unlikely that straightforward guidelines can be given with regard to where the children should live after parental homicide, or whether they should be in contact with the perpetrating parent. Rather, this study's findings underline the need to explore children's individual viewpoints carefully during decision-making processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: While there is no doubt that parental intimate partner homicide is associated with strong grief and post-traumatic stress reactions among the children who have been bereaved, there is little in-depth insight into how children and young people see and describe their circumstances and needs. Objective: Our aim was to shed light on children's and young people's perspectives on their life after parental intimate partner homicide. In particular, we were interested in how they experienced their living arrangements, social environment, and general well-being. Method: We conducted semi-structured interviews with 23 children and young people (8-24 years old; 15 females and eight males) who had been younger than 18 years when one of their parents killed the other (21 children lost their mother, two children lost their father). We used thematic analysis to synthesize the findings. Results: While most participants were fairly content with themselves and their living arrangements, they also expressed substantial and persistent difficulties, including distress, conflicts between family members, and feelings of unsafety. Most importantly, children's self-image, their perspectives on their biological parents, and their views on their broader (family) environment varied considerably from participant to participant, and also between siblings. Conclusions: It is unlikely that straightforward guidelines can be given with regard to where the children should live after parental homicide, or whether they should be in contact with the perpetrating parent. Rather, this study's findings underline the need to explore children's individual viewpoints carefully during decision-making processes.