Legal Definitions - filicide

Filicide refers to the act of a parent killing their own child. It can also describe the person who commits such an act.

• Example 1: A mother, suffering from severe postpartum depression, intentionally causes the death of her infant child.

  Explanation: This scenario clearly demonstrates filicide, as it involves a parent (the mother) committing the act of killing her own child (the infant).

• Example 2: A father, facing immense personal and financial pressures, makes a deliberate decision to end the life of his elementary-school-aged daughter.

  Explanation: Here, the term filicide applies because a parent (the father) intentionally causes the death of his own child (his daughter).

• Example 3: During a contentious custody dispute, a parent, out of a desire for revenge against their co-parent, intentionally harms and causes the death of their shared adolescent child.

  Explanation: This situation is an example of filicide, as it describes a parent intentionally killing their own child, regardless of the underlying motive.