Article in the Telegraph features comments by Rachel Condry on Parricide
Professor Rachel Condry's research on parricide has gained renewed attention following Netflix's dramatisation of the infamous Menendez brothers case. Speaking to The Telegraph, Professor Condry, Professor of Criminology in the Centre for Criminology, emphasises that whilst the Menendez murders captured public imagination, they represent an atypical case of parricide.
Drawing from her co-authored journal article with Dr Caroline Miles (University of Manchester) and Elspeth Windsor (doctoral student in the Centre for Criminology), 'Parricide, Mental Illness and Parental Proximity', Professor Condry highlights that in England and Wales, parricide presents a markedly different pattern. Unlike the calculated Menendez case, where two brothers conspired and planned their parents' murder, UK cases are typically spontaneous violent episodes that get out of control. Professor Condry notes that parricide is rarely about financial gain, despite popular assumptions. Instead, a very high proportion of cases involve adult children with diagnosed mental illnesses, particularly at the extreme end of conditions such as delusion and schizophrenia. The research shows that while 88% of general homicide victims are men, in parricide cases, mothers are just as likely to be victims as fathers. These are often older mothers in their mid to late 60s caring for adult sons with an average age of 38, who are frequently the 'last woman standing' in supporting their mentally ill children.
The research reveals a steady average of 21 cases of child-to-parent homicide annually between 2003 and 2016, accounting for 5% of all homicides. "It is a taboo subject and often misunderstood," notes Professor Condry. "More needs to be done to understand and prevent it. If 21 people were dying consistently every year of, say, minibus crashes, the Government would want to know exactly why so they could take preventive measures." The research underscores the urgent need for enhanced support systems for parent carers and better safeguarding measures for those caring for adult children with severe mental illness.
Read the full journal article