It is always shocking when the Queensland community hears about a parent killing their child, an act known as filicide. While filicide is relatively rare compared to other external causes of death, 109 children (between 2004 and 2020) have lost their lives at the hands of their parent or someone acting in a parenting role in Queensland.
In 2020, we worked with researchers from the University of Queensland to study the filicide data recorded in the Child Death Register. The study identified that while filicide is difficult to predict, a threat by a parent to kill their child is a clear warning sign that must be treated with urgency. Other risk factors were also identified that elevate the risk of filicide. This research provides an important contribution to the limited body of literature on risk factors for filicide in Queensland.
The paper summarises the data underpinning the study and the findings about filicide risk factors.
For a full copy of the research report, see below, Final Report – A study of indicators of red flags for fatal child assault and neglect in Queensland.