Gloomy economy not seen as reason behind recent domestic killings

Number of family killings largely unchanged for decades

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Experts do not believe that the increasingly grim economic news is the reason for an apparent surge in violent crimes that have been making headlines in recent weeks and months.
      Figures on killings within families have remained unchanged for decades, regardless of economic trends. Family killing incidents have averaged about seven a year since the 1950s.
      Although money problems may be behind some of the individual acts of violence, relationship problems are the most frequent cause.
      “Jealousy, the end of a relationship, or the sense that a relationship is in danger of ending: there is nothing more mystical about it than that. The crimes are similar. There is variation only in the modus operandi. Killings are implemented with many different types of equipment”, says Juha Rautaheimo of the Helsinki Police Department.
      “For most people unemployment and relationship problems are difficult situations, but an outsider cannot evaluate what each person might see as a serious loss. A person will fall into a situation in which he or she curls up around the problems”, explains Hannu Lauerma, head physician of the Prison Mental Hospital.
     
On Tuesday a husband and wife were found dead in Herttoniemi in the east of Helsinki. Police say that the 48-year-old father of the family had shot his 41-year-old wife at the end of an argument, and then taken his own life.
      Also on Tuesday, a middle-aged couple who had apparently committed a double suicide, were found in their home in Porvoo. The suspected reason is that the family had just lost three foster children who had been in their care.
      Just over a week ago, a father in Oulu had apparently killed his wife and two children before shooting himself.
      Although statistics show one thing, three family killings within a short time are considerable, admits Hannu Lauerma.
      “It is not necessarily anything more than a coincidence, but to some extent it can be contagious behaviour. There is a contagious effect with suicide. For instance, a suicide by a famous person tends to slightly increase suicides.”
     
Not all family killings can ever be prevented, but tightening gun laws and good treatment could help, Lauerma believes. Especially the use of antidepressant drugs has been seen to prevent suicides efficiently.
      Social Services Minister Paula Risikko (Nat. Coalition Party) notes that good medications will not help if people are afraid to ask for them. In her view, it cannot be said that help would not have been available to the families where the killings took place.
      “They all went to work and had access to occupational health services. It is truly a low-threshold place to seek help. Problems with mental health are seen to carry such a stigma in Finland that people are afraid to seek help”, Risikko says.
      She feels that health care workers should be trained to better recognise problems that people have.
      “In all basic services, starting from day care and school, there should be sensitivity to recognise problems and the courage to take them up. Everyone with even a basic degree in health care has the training for it”, Risikko notes.
      “The training is undoubtedly utilised, but is it utilised enough? I have spoken with a victim of domestic violence, who had told a doctor that the bruises on her stomach came from falling down. She only wished that someone would have doubted her story.”
     
Nevertheless, Risikko promises more spending on family services. She says that a total of EUR 100 million will be distributed over four years to projects in the social and health care field as a part of the KASTE programme for development of social and health services.


Previously in HS International Edition:
  Child finds parents dead at Helsinki home in apparent extended suicide (29.10.2008)
  Police tight-lipped on reports that two other persons were present at time of Oulu shootings (23.10.2008)
  Previous recession led to more violent deaths (21.10.2008)
  Family of four die in murder-suicide, Oulu neighbourhood in shock (20.10.2008)

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