Experts warn that killing one's own child is almost never an isolated act, but rather the final stage of prolonged violence or psychological crisis, and an analysis of Croatian cases reveals concerning patterns and systemic failures.
When a parent kills their own child, it is called filicide and represents one of the most severe and shocking forms of violence in society, as it directly violates the fundamental principle that a parent provides protection for their child. Although this criminal act is rare, its consequences deeply traumatize both the family and society as a whole. Experts emphasize that filicide almost never occurs "suddenly," but is often preceded by long-term domestic violence, parental psychological difficulties, threats, social isolation, partner conflicts, child neglect, or prior contact with the social welfare system and the police.
This crime has been present since ancient times, and the theme of filicide appears in literature and mythology. The most famous case is Medea, who, according to Greek mythology, killed her children to take revenge on her husband Jason. In his tragedy, Euripides describes Medea through completely opposing circumstances and emotions-her hatred of Jason and desire for revenge-which makes the Chorus, composed of women from Corinth, simultaneously horrified and fascinated by her.
American psychiatrist Phillip Resnick created one of the most well-known classifications of filicide, distinguishing several main categories. Altruistic filicide occurs when a parent believes they are saving the child from suffering or danger, often linked to severe depression. Psychotic filicide is associated with hallucinations or loss of contact with reality, with the most famous example being Andrea Yates from the USA, who drowned her five children during severe postpartum psychosis. Filicide of an unwanted child is most often associated with newborns and hidden pregnancies, while accidental filicide results from abuse without direct intent to kill. Particularly dangerous is vengeful filicide, where one parent kills the child to punish or emotionally destroy the other parent, and it is linked to relationship breakups, jealousy, and custody battles.
Professional literature shows that many perpetrators of filicide had previously been violent toward their partners or children. In male perpetrators, possessiveness, jealousy, need for control, and revenge after relationship breakdown are more common, while in women, severe depression, psychosis, social isolation, and postpartum disorders are more frequently mentioned. Although filicide is often associated with mental disorders, research indicates that not all perpetrators are psychotic-some act deliberately and conceal the violence.
A special form of extreme violence is the so-called family annihilation, that is, the killing of an entire family by one member, most often a man. Motives often include a sense of doom, financial difficulties, loss of status, or a desire for total control. However, there are exceptions: a horrific tragedy from April 2026 still shakes the town of Catanzaro in southern Italy. A mother threw her four-month-old baby, a four-year-old child, and a six-year-old daughter from the balcony, after which she also jumped. The mother and the two younger children died at the scene, while the oldest girl survived the fall but is in critical condition. The father and husband, who was sleeping in the apartment, noticed nothing until he was awakened by the commotion from the street.
In recent years, Croatia has recorded a series of harrowing cases of filicide and severe child abuse. Austrian citizen Harold Kopitz, 57, killed his three children in Zagreb's Mlinovi neighborhood in 2021 by putting 30 diazepam tablets in their hot cocoa. At the Zagreb County Court, he received a non-final sentence of 50 years in prison, and in 2022, he took his own life in prison.
In 2019, 55-year-old Josip Rođak threw his four minor children from the balcony of a house on Pag during the night. The children, aged three, five, seven, and eight, survived thanks to rapid medical intervention, although they were seriously injured. Judge Ivan Marković, in the explanation of the verdict, stated that Rođak had substantially diminished criminal responsibility due to fluid accumulation in the brain lining. His sentence was 30 years in prison.
At Klaić Hospital on April 4, 2021, doctors turned off the machines for little Nikoll Mekaj after losing the battle for her life. The child died because her own mother beat her. The mother, Mirela, was sentenced to 13 years, and the father, Danijel, to 7 years in prison. In 2022, for the first time in history, the Ministry filed criminal charges against two psychologists and one social worker from the Nova Gradiška Social Welfare Center on suspicion of negligent work, but so far there is no information about a conviction.
A series of other cases further illuminates the scale of the problem: in 2024, a small child died in Međimurje after long-term neglect; in 2021, a two-year-old child was brought to Klaić with severe injuries indicating chronic physical abuse; in 2022, in Pula, a father seriously injured a small child during domestic violence; in 2020, in Slavonia, a minor child died after long-term neglect; in 2019, in Rijeka, a mother attempted to kill her child and herself during a psychological crisis; in 2023, in Varaždin, a case of long-term physical punishment of children was discovered; in 2025, in Zagreb, a father shook a baby so violently that the child suffered a skull fracture and brain hemorrhage; and in 2022, passersby reported a man abusing a little girl in Zagreb.
Experts emphasize that many cases can be prevented. Prevention includes early detection of violence, cooperation between police, schools, and social welfare, treatment of mental disorders, protection of victims of domestic violence, and taking threats to children seriously. Particularly highlighted is the need for risk assessment in families with violence, monitoring threats of murder and suicide, and better protection of children during conflicted divorces or relationship breakdowns.
Filicide is one of the most extreme forms of domestic violence, and its causes are a complex combination of psychological, social, and family factors. Contemporary research warns that filicide is often not an isolated act, but the final stage of prolonged violence, control, psychological crisis, or the disintegration of family relationships. Therefore, experts emphasize the importance of early risk recognition and more effective institutional protection of children.
