CASE REPORT   

Minerva Medicolegale 2005 September;125(3):189-92

Copyright © 2005 EDIZIONI MINERVA MEDICA

language: Italian

Murder of passion

Giraudo R., Lerda S., Angelini G.

Murders are heinous crimes, which usually follow to a sudden emotion, and a long-lived and suffered passion. It is well known that these utmost offences are due to psychological more than psychopathological conditions of human actions. However, since they are perpetrated «without consciousness», several problems related both to mental health and personal responsibility have been arisen. The aim of our study is to reach a clear definition of «emotional and passion states», and the origin of the murderous fury (from Esquirol to present times). Predisposing factors for these crimes, together with behavioural patterns of the typical murderer, are discussed. An example of uxoricide, committed by a Tunisian man actually confined, is reported. To our opinion, this case-report well describes the grievous feeling of helpless and hopeless, which is typical in this kind of murders.