Matricide by Person with Borderline Personality Disorder

Abstract

Matricide is a very rare form of murder and comprises approximately 0.68% of all murders. This scientific paper aims to present a psychiatric evaluation of one of the most macabre murders committed in Kosovo in 2023. The accused temporarily stayed in Germany and committed the act during his stay in Kosovo for vacation. Murder has been associated with marked brutality. Until the moment of committing the act, he has not behaved aggressively towards his sibling or parents because family members have avoided confrontation by fulfilling his wishes. The murder took place in a joint house, where he first stabbed his mother and then decapitated her by placing her head in the basement. After the crime, he manifested the symptoms of acting out by standing on the stairs of the house and quietly waiting for the police. Other family members reported that he never manifested aggressive behavior towards his mother, and she was the one with whom he had the best relationship. This case shows how unpredictable are borderline personality disorders and how a lack of impulse control can lead to murders.

Keywords

• matricide
• forensic psychiatry
• mental illness
• mother–son bond