Murder followed by suicide: Norwegian data and international literature

Karen Galta M.D.*a, Siri Lerstøl Olsen M.D.a & Gustav Wik M.D. Ph.D.aa Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Bergen, NO-5020 Bergen, NorwayKaren Galta, M.D., Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Bergen, NO-5020 Bergen, Norway. E-mail: kgalta@hotmail.comBackground: In Scandinavia, the knowledge base for murder–suicides is uneven, and there has been no statistics in criminal records. Method: We collected data from criminal registers in Norway from 1990 to 2007, and seek to compare this with international literature from the last 50 years. Results: Over 90% of murder–suicide perpetrators are males and 80% of their victims are females. A vast majority of perpetrators are, or have been, intimate partners with their victim. The woman has often indicated an intention to break up from the relationship before the homicide. Compared with isolated homicides, the ages of both the perpetrator and victim are higher; most perpetrators use firearms, and tend to be less socially marginalized. Psychiatric instability is often a background factor, but should be seen in view of longstanding personal conflicts and threat of or loss of family, employment or social reputation. Norwegian statistics show that one in four murderers who have killed a near acquaintance also will commit suicide. Conclusions: Increased knowledge is essential to prevent further tragedies of murder–suicide. Scrutinizing the taboo surrounding the topic will probably lead to improved awareness. We suggest that a connection should be made between the homicide(s) and the suicide in criminal registers.