HeadingNorth Posted March 10, 2011 Share Posted March 10, 2011 We have to think they're insane for our own peace of mind, because it's such an unbelievable thing for a loving parent to do, but perhaps they're merely selfish to the extreme? It really depends how you define insanity. Certainly we're not talking about the frothing, gibbering, straws-in-the-hair type of lunatic; but to most people, the idea that you can come to a rational decision that murdering your own children serves some purpose is, in itself, an insane notion. Probably not insane in the legal sense, since people can, and some did, stand trial for the crime if they survive it. But surely, they are a long way removed from normal, sensible-thinking folk. Indeed, in the case of many "insane" conditions, it can be shown that the patient is behaving with flawless logic - but their underlying axioms are wildly at odds with the axioms the rest of us live by. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alien Posted March 10, 2011 Share Posted March 10, 2011 Sorry Rubes, I don't know the latest about that one where the dad jumped - did that really happen all the way back in 2006?? However, the one with Theresa Riggi (the mother that jumped in Scotland) is currently at trial, so it's in the news at present: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-edinburgh-east-fife-12663965 Riggi told a hospital chaplain after the killings: "I want to be with my babies. I'm not meant to be here. I'm meant to be with my babies." She was also heard speaking to her mother and saying that she had been saved for a reason and her "babies" were being looked after by God. "She stated that she had a second chance and God had saved her in order to make her husband pay for what he did," said Mr Prentice. --- Donald Findlay QC, defending, said a report into his client's mental state identified she was suffering narcissistic, paranoid and hysterical personality disorders. x Interesting but the common denominator seems to be the "God" factor and no self recognition of her act. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
medusa Posted March 10, 2011 Share Posted March 10, 2011 The instance of this happening which I know of personally involved an overbearing and abusive father, a down beaten and submissive mother who had all of her family ties severed by her husband removing the family to the other end of the country and two little girls. The mother was struggling with depression whilst trying to do the best for her children and the catalyst to everything was her finding out that her husband was getting up in the night and getting into bed with the children. In her desperation and mental illness she decided that the only way to prevent her husband from being able to hurt the children was to get them to a place where he could never get to them again, so she smothered both of the children and attempted suicide herself, but was found before the overdose she took had finished the job. She was convicted of their manslaughter and sent to a mental institution where she was on suicide watch for several months. We were not at all surprised to learn that she succeeded in committing suicide the week after the suicide watch was stopped. I don't condone what she did, but I can see in her desperation how she felt that it was the only way out which protected her children from abuse and although she killed her own children she was also a victim of the situation and the abuse that she was suffering at the time and had been suffering for a number of years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jason Bourne Posted March 10, 2011 Share Posted March 10, 2011 Interesting point, medusa. Mothers in such situations usually elicit sympathy while the fathers receive near-universal condemnation. In the case of the Riggis', I expect everything will come out in the open soon. x Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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