BCIFV home > Newsletter > 1994 Archives > Spring 1994 articles

Some Facts About Children Involved in Local Family Homicides

The B.C. Institute on Family Violence sponsored a study of family homicides occurring since 1984 in the southwest mainland of B.C.; it is now nearing completion, with a report expected by the end of March. In total, 124 cases, involving 147 victims, have been located. In this study a familial homicide was defined broadly as the victim and perpetrator being related either by blood directly or indirectly through an intimate relationship.

Children as the Deceased

Twenty seven (22%) of the cases involved the deaths of 37 children (25% of victims);

Seventeen of the perpetrators were men (25 victims) and ten were women (12 victims);

Eight of the male perpetrators were natural fathers, seven stepfathers, one was a brother-in-law, and one was a half-brother; nine of the women were natural mothers and one was a foster mother.

Since the theme of this newsletter is child custody, in the following paragraphs we will focus on children killed as a result of marital separations.

No examples were found of children killed by mothers as a result of a separation from an intimate partner, but 13 of the children were killed by eight men whose female partners had recently left them. Eleven of these children were shot, one was beaten to death, while the other was a victim of arson.

Five of the separations had come about as a result of chronic, severe violence by the man against his former partner, and in two of those cases the woman was also killed, while a third survived although she was the true target. Two perpetrators were the natural fathers of the child victims) one of whom committed suicide immediately after the murder), two were stepfathers, while one was a brother-in-law.

The other three relationships had not involved chronic violence against the woman, but the perpetrator had become violent towards her and the children as a result of the separation. None of the women in these cases were killed. All of the children in these cases were the men's natural offspring and all of the men committed suicide immediately after their murders.

Children as the Motive

Another five cases, all involving women killed by male ex-partners, apparently occurred in part because of the children. Two women were murdered because the perpetrator was a pedophile who had been abusing daughters of the women. The other three murders appear to have occurred partly because of child custody issues (two of the men were definitely abusive husbands). Three children were direct witnesses to two of these murders.

Children as Witnesses

At least nine, probably more, of the family homicides occurred in front of child witnesses related to the victim or perpetrator.

Children as Survivors

No accurate count is available of the number of children who lost a relative in one of these homicides.

Children as Killers

Only two perpetrators were under 18. Both were involved in the same case and were raised to adult court for familicide.

Mary Cooper, Researcher & Author
Parallax Research Services

Note: The complete report of this study will be available for purchase in April 1994. The price will be calculated based on printing and shipping costs. To order a copy, please contact the B.C. Institute on Family Violence.