What fuels family murder?
Family murders: we look at why people commit these deeply disturbing crimes, which have become something of a South African phenomenon. Profile of a family killer Family murders i.e. suicide and taking the rest of the family with you – are nearly always committed by the father. One theory put forward to explain why family murder is particularly common in the Afrikaans population, is because this is traditionally a highly patriarchal culture. The father assumes the role of head of the household, breadwinner and sole protector of the family. He often has an inappropriate and exaggerated sense of responsibility. Advertisement Such a man is probably used to taking decisions on behalf of the other family members even to the extreme point of deciding whether they would prefer to live or die. Out of control The family murderer often feels out of control and overwhelmed by aspects of his life. Financial difficulties are common and he may feel that he has failed and is letting his family down.
