Deaths by homicide-suicide in Bogotá
an epidemiological profile
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.16925/2145-9649.2018.02.03Keywords:
colombia, homicide, suicide, violence, gender violencAbstract
Introduction: Deaths, in the context of homicide-suicide (H-S), are rare events and therefore not heavily studied in our region. However, its study helps to understand the scenario of one of the most serious forms of violence in so far as it denies the fundamental human right to life and, consequently, eliminates all other rights. This study describes the cases of H-S that occurred between 2007-2012 in Bogota by epidemiological characterization. Methodology: The case studies were selected from deaths by suicide that are related to other deaths in the same event, as registered by the National Institute of Legal Medicine and Forensic Sciences of Colombia. Cases were excluded if either the perpetrator or victim survived despite their injuries or if the context corresponded to suicidal pacts or double suicides. Additionally, the studied H-S events were classified based on their sociodemographic characteristics and the context of each event. Results: The great majority of the perpetrators/suicides (among the 25 identified H-S events) were men, and women and children, their victims. The most used instrument was a firearm. In 60% of the cases, the events occurred at home and in 88% of the cases the perpetrator’s death occurred in the same place where the homicide occurred. The precipitating factors for the event were mainly based on feelings of love-jealousy and retaliation. Conclusions: H-S events are mostly perpetrated by men towards women with whom they maintained some kind of sentimental relationship, thus placing these events in contexts of gender violence. It is important that legal and forensic communities increase the visibility of these cases so that their detection and analysis allow for the design of promotion and prevention strategies that help to reduce their occurrence.
Author Biographies
Javier Esteban Coello Hidalgo, Universidad UTE
Docente investigador
Wilmer Alexander Tarupi Montenegro, UTE Ecuador
Docente investigador
Nelson Ricardo Téllez Rodríguez, Universidad Nacional de Colombia
Facultad de Medicina
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