Australian study reveals worrying insight into children who kill their parents

A study has found rates of parricide in Australia account for about 5% of all homicides annually. Photo / 123rf

Rates of parricide – the murder or manslaughter of a parent by their child – in Australia account for about 5% of all homicides annually, with many committed following a domestic argument and involving knives, according to a new study.

The Australian Institute of Criminology examined the characteristics of parricide in Australia using 35 years of data from the National Homicide Monitoring Programme.

Researchers found rates in Australia were generally similar to international records, noting it was rare but persistent.

An average of 12 parricides were recorded in Australia every year, totalling 429 incidents over 35 years.

NSW recorded about one-third of parricides, while Victoria and Queensland recorded about one-fifth each.

AIC deputy director Rick Brown said the study highlighted a need to consider this form of violence in responses to family violence.

“Parricide is a distinct form of homicide with similar proportions of mothers and fathers being victims,” he said.

“The research also shows that sons are more likely to kill their fathers, and daughters more likely to kill their mothers.”

Most parricides involved one parent, but one in 10 included both parents.

Double parricide was only committed by sons, with almost one in 10 offenders killing both their parents.

The study noted 54% of victims were fathers and 46% were mothers, compared to 65% being male for all homicides in Australia. With intimate partner homicide, 76% of victims are female.

Parricide offenders are predominantly male, with only 14% being female.

Some of the more chilling findings were that knives and other sharp instruments were predominantly used for killings.

“Sons exhibited some variation in weapon use depending on whether the victim was their father or mother,” the study authors wrote.

Other common weapons were firearms, as well as blunt instruments, and the offender’s hands and feet.

Almost one-third of double parricides involved a firearm.

The study also found almost half of parricides committed by daughters and more than one-third by sons were preceded by an argument.

Disputes about money made up 7% of parricides by sons, but none by daughters.

“These include parricides where the son expected or anticipated his parent would assist with his financial difficulties or debts, where there were disagreements over the composition of his parent’s will [or proposed changes to it] or where he killed his parent to gain access to their life insurance or assets,” the authors wrote.

Almost one-fifth of sons who committed parricide were delusional at the time, with many found not guilty by way of mental impairment or found guilty of the lesser charge of manslaughter.

Only 8% of daughters were experiencing psychosis at the time.

“Parricide remains a relatively rare occurrence in Australia but an occurrence that has nonetheless remained stable,” the authors said.

“There is greater need to consider this form of lethal violence in responses to family violence and the circumstances where non-fatal violence directed towards a parent ultimately crosses over to homicide.”

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