The Australian Institute of Criminology has released a report from the National Homicide Monitoring Program on parricide (the homicide of a parent). Data from this report show that:
There were 429 incidents of parricide in Australia over a 35-year period from 1989–90, comprising five percent of all homicide incidents and 12 percent of domestic homicide incidents.
Male and female victimisation from parricide was relatively even (54% (n=246) vs 46% (n=212)) but mothers tended be older than fathers at the time of the homicide. Almost half of mothers were aged 55 to 74 years (47%, n=99) compared with half of fathers aged 45–64 years (54%, n=133).
Offender age was associated with the gender of the parent killed—younger sons and daughters were more likely to have killed their father and older sons and daughters to have killed their mother.
Almost one in five offenders (16%, n=67) were ‘apparently delusional’ when they committed the parricide.
