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Father Kills Mother

Issues and Problems Encountered by a Child Psychiatric Team

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2018

Dora Black*
Affiliation:
Royal Free Hospital, Hospital for Sick Children, London, WC1
Tony Kaplan
Affiliation:
Royal Free Hospital
*
Royal Free Hospital, Pond Street, London NW3

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.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Royal College of Psychiatrists, 1988 

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