‘Just Say Goodbye’ (January 2013 online edition)

‘Just Say Goodbye’are also killed in situations where the parents are in the process of separating orhave already done so. While separation is acknowledged as a factor, there is a gapin the filicide research regarding cases that occur in this context ( Johnson 2005,Cavanagh et al. 2007). To address this gap, this discussion paper specificallyfocuses on the role of separation in filicides while also outlining filicide morebroadly.Some filicides that occur in response to separation from a partner aredescribed in the literature as ‘retaliatory’ filicides. These cases are motivatedby an intention to harm the other parent. The research outlined here showsthat retaliatory filicides are primarily perpetrated by fathers, directed towardsharming mothers. This discussion paper, while exploring gender differences infilicide generally, focuses on this particular subset of filicides that we identify asalso being a form of violence against women.The key questions addressed are: Why do parents kill their children in thecontext of separation? What role does family violence play?The discussion paper draws on case examples, mainly from Victoria but alsosome from other Australian states. Information about the cases was primarilyobtained from the media and trial judgments (when available). 3 Sources ofinformation about filicides are difficult to obtain – trial transcripts are prohibitivelyexpensive and coronial records difficult to access. The cases outlined in thechapter on paternal filicides were selected because they occurred in the context ofseparation; they do not form a large or representative sample.Family violence and links with separationFamily violence, as defined by the Family Violence Protection Act Victoria (2008) 4 ,is behaviour towards a family member that includes:• physical or sexual abuse• emotional or psychological abuse• economic abuse• threats• coercion• behaviour that in any other way controls or dominates the family member andcauses them to feel fear for their safety or wellbeing or that of another person• behaviour that causes a child to hear or witness, or otherwise be exposed to,the effects of the above behaviours.3 A number of cases outlined in Chapter 5 are drawn from previous PhD research undertaken by the author.The methodology of that study is discussed in Chapter 5.4 See section 5 of the Act.7