Mortality Rates of Males who Commit Parricide or Other Violence Offense Against a Parent

This study examined & compared the mortality of matricidal & patricidal offenders by using a comprehensive national data set with follow-up ranging from 3-24 years. 99 matricidal, 113 patricidal, & 111 control violent male offenders were evaluated over the period 1973-2004 in Finland. One-third of deaths among parricidal offenders were due to suicide. The matricidal males who died by suicide had a significantly shorter survival time after the offense than did patricidal & control offenders who died by suicide. Results of this study are compared with previous findings on parricidal offenders & offenders in general. (52 refs.) JA