Childhood homicide: a 1990-2000 retrospective study at the Institute of Legal Medicine in Lausanne, Switzerland.

The authors retrospectively reviewed all homicides of children under 15 years of age referred to the Institute of Legal Medicine in Lausanne from January 1990 to December 2000. We report on 41 cases during this eleven-year period. Among those, 17 newborns and 24 older children, a higher proportion of males was found. Regarding newborn homicides, when the identity of the mother was known she was always identified as the perpetrator. With non-newborn homicides, the majority of the victims were killed at home and knew the offender. Two common profiles of these homicides could be determined. In the first scenario, one of the parents shot all the children and committed suicide afterwards. The second profile is defined as 'fatal child abuse' and concerned younger victims whose cause of death was the result of a cranio-cerebral trauma from battering or shaken baby syndrome.