Infanticide and Filicide

When a mother kills her child, it breaks a cardinal rule that violates the natural course of life—that is, the maternal instinct to safeguard the survival of her young. The trials of Andrea Yates in 2002 and 2006 for the drowning of her five children in 2001 captured the public's attention for its sheer tragedy. Although the case initially sparked shock and outrage, it also spotlighted maternal mental illness and the intersection with the criminal justice system.

Two decades after the tragedy, Infanticide and Filicide reveals new insights and recollections of George Parnham, the attorney who successfully defended Yates. It also delves into research and the practical application of maternal mental health forensics, and offers a thorough description of current theory, bolstered by more than 30 experts in the field representing eight countries, and provides real case examples. A chapter on fathers who commit filicide, a subject that receives far less attention in research, is also included.

Whether casually interested in the topic or actively involved in maternal infanticide or filicide cases as psychologists, psychiatrists, social workers, or lawyers, readers will gain a comprehensive understanding of the legal outcomes, greater understanding of the multiple motivations for these crimes, their potential psychiatric underpinnings, the social and global contexts, and advanced understanding from a biopsychosocial perspective.

Acknowledging that maternal mental health may also involve child custody disputes, other homicide cases, assault charges, and criminal negligence causing bodily harm, this guide is also an invitation to forge ahead together in the study and understanding of maternal mental health forensics in an effort to address, advance, and advocate on behalf of the lives of mothers, fathers, their children, their families, and generations to come.