Four children were murdered by their parents over the weekend in the Dominican Republic, police said Monday in the Caribbean country, which has suffered a spate of such killings.
A 36-year-old woman living on the outskirts of the capital Santa Domingo killed her three children aged 7, 9 and 11 by poisoning their fruit juice on Sunday before taking her own life by ingesting the liquid, police said.
Officers found a handwritten note at the scene believed to have been left by the woman but have not disclosed the contents.
On the same day in the capital, a man was arrested on suspicion of suffocating his toddler son, aged 1 year and 8 months.
At least two other cases of suspected filicide — when a parent intentionally kills their child — have been reported on the island of nearly 11 million inhabitants so far this month.
A couple was arrested last week in the capital, accused of causing the death of a 7-year-old girl in their care, who showed “signs of physical abuse and barbarity,” according to authorities.
Days earlier, on Aug. 11, a man allegedly hanged his 2-year-old son and then took his own life in the northeastern city of Nagua.
According to a paper published in the National Library of Medicine, 90% of filicide cases worldwide involve biological parents and 10% involve stepparents.
In the United States, roughly 2.5% of all homicide arrests were for parents who killed their children, according to a 2014 analysis, which amounts to an average of about 500 filicide arrests each year. Filicides are believed to account for roughly two-thirds of fatal child abuse cases, according to the analysis.
If you or someone you know is in emotional distress or a suicidal crisis, you can reach the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline by calling or texting 988. You can also chat with the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline here.
For more information about mental health care resources and support, The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) HelpLine can be reached Monday through Friday, 10 a.m.–10 p.m. ET, at 1-800-950-NAMI (6264) or email info@nami.org.
