Maternal Filicide: Understanding the Phenomenon and its Intersection with Mental Health

Maternal filicide, the act of a mother killing her child, is a disturbing and complex phenomenon that has been recorded throughout history, dating back to ancient civilizations such as the Chaldeans around 2000 BCE. This Violation of the natural maternal instinct to protect and nurture one’s child has sparked public outrage and fascination, as seen in the highly publicized case of Andrea Yates, who drowned her five children in 2001.

The Yates case not only shocked the nation but also shed light on the critical role of maternal mental illness in such cases, highlighting the need for a comprehensive understanding of the intersections between mental health and the criminal justice system. Co-edited by renowned attorney George Parnham, who successfully defended Yates, this book delves into the complexities of maternal filicide, featuring contributions from over 30 experts from eight countries and real-life case examples.

A Comprehensive Resource for Maternal Mental Health Forensics

This exhaustive collection is firmly rooted in research, providing a thorough exploration of theory and practical applications in maternal mental health forensics. The book is organized around four foundational pillars:

• The legal aspects surrounding maternal infanticide and filicide
• The impact of perinatal psychiatric complications in maternal filicide
• The role of the expert witness in infanticide and filicide cases
• Sociocultural considerations and feminist approaches to prevention and treatment

Each chapter concludes with a concise summary of key clinical, legal, and cultural points, accompanied by practice questions and discussion prompts to facilitate further understanding and application.

A Valuable Resource for Professionals and Beyond

This comprehensive guide serves as an invaluable educational and training resource for professionals involved in maternal infanticide and filicide cases, including psychologists, psychiatrists, social workers, and lawyers. It also provides a rich understanding of the legal outcomes, multiple motivations behind these crimes, and their potential psychiatric underpinnings, as well as the social and global contexts.

Furthermore, this volume sheds light on the consequences of untreated or poorly treated perinatal mental illness and establishes maternal mental health forensics as a distinct subspecialty field. By illuminating the complexities of maternal filicide, this book contributes to a deeper understanding of the field and its applications beyond filicide and infanticide, encompassing child custody disputes, homicide cases, assault charges, and other offenses where maternal mental disturbance may have played a pivotal role.

A detailed glossary of key terms and concepts is included at the end of the book, providing a convenient reference for readers.