Father kills mother. Issues and problems encountered by a child psychiatric team

Abstract

The child whose mother is killed by his or her father has to cope with the trauma of violence, the grief associated with the loss of both parents simultaneously, dislocation and insecurity regarding where and with whom they will live, stigma, secrecy, and often massive conflicts of loyalty. These issues and how they affected the 28 children of 14 families in which the father had killed the mother are examined. Recommendations for practice based on this clinical experience are proposed.