Biomaterial Database

An unusual case of child abuse homicide/suicide. 1988

D B Fain, and G M McCormick

Forensic Pathologists, Inc., Bossier City, LA.

This case report examines a child abuse homicide in which the perpetrator committed suicide a few hours after the infant's death. At the time of the perpetrator's suicide he was not under investigation, nor was he a suspect in the death of the child. Although the literature does not contain reports of similar cases, we are sure they exist. This report raises the question of the degree of social stigma attached to the accusation of child abuse. It also serves as a warning to those who must deal with the potentially suicidal child abuser.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D007223	Infant	A child between 1 and 23 months of age.	Infants
D008297	Male		Males
D002649	Child Abuse	Abuse of children in a family, institutional, or other setting. (APA, Thesaurus of Psychological Index Terms, 1994)	Abuse Experiences, Childhood,Child Neglect,Child Neglect Experiences,Child Neglect, Physical,Childhood Abuse Experiences,Childhood Neglect Experiences,Neglect Experience, Childhood,Neglect Experiences, Childhood,Physical Neglect, Childhood,Child Maltreatment,Child Mistreatment,Abuse Experience, Childhood,Abuse, Child,Child Neglect Experience,Childhood Abuse Experience,Childhood Neglect Experience,Childhood Physical Neglect,Childhood Physical Neglects,Experience, Child Neglect,Experience, Childhood Abuse,Experience, Childhood Neglect,Maltreatment, Child,Mistreatment, Child,Neglect Experience, Child,Neglect, Child,Neglect, Childhood Physical,Neglect, Physical Child,Physical Child Neglect,Physical Child Neglects
D005260	Female		Females
D006708	Homicide	The killing of one person by another.	Murder,Killing,Wrongful Death,Death, Wrongful,Deaths, Wrongful,Homicides,Killings,Murders,Wrongful Deaths
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000328	Adult	A person having attained full growth or maturity. Adults are of 19 through 44 years of age. For a person between 19 and 24 years of age, YOUNG ADULT is available.	Adults
D013405	Suicide	The act of killing oneself.	Suicides
D013898	Thoracic Injuries	General or unspecified injuries to the chest area.	Chest Injuries,Injuries, Chest,Injuries, Thoracic,Chest Injury,Injury, Chest,Injury, Thoracic,Thoracic Injury
D014948	Wounds, Gunshot	Disruption of structural continuity of the body as a result of the discharge of firearms.	Gunshot Wound,Gunshot Wounds,Wound, Gunshot