A sad if somewhat morbidly fascinating aspect of criminology is the phenomenon of parents who kill their offspring. It is against the natural order of every society – civilised and uncivilised, ancient and modern – for a mother or father to kill their own child. Outside of situations where a mother kills her baby, following severe post-natal depression, it was almost unheard of until recently. Occasionally there would be the odd report of a so-called ‘mercy killing’, like the tragic case where a mother killed her three severely disabled toddlers. However over the last 10 years there has developed a sickening, although thankfully still rare, trend of fathers killing their children and then taking their own lives in what has become known as ‘revenge suicides’. So bitter and consumed are they by jealousy and hatred that the thirst for vengeance becomes stronger than their love for their own children. Typical examples involve custody battles, property disputes and refusal to accept that a relationship has ended. From a domestic abuse perspective, a father who kills his own child and then kills himself in these circumstances, has achieved the ultimate pinnacle of control and power. He takes away, by force, everything that is near, treasured and dear to the mother and yet leaves her with no hope of achieving any sort of justice.
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