Filicide Case Summary

In the case of filicide or false confession, the case takes place in the Netherlands in 2006, a mother of two children Kim made a call to emergency services claiming that someone broke into her home attacked her and killed her two children. Kim stated that the assailant Benny was looking for her ex-boyfriend Richard who owed the assailant money. During the call to emergency services, Kim told the dispatcher there was blood everywhere, based on her crying and inability to speak clearly Kim seemed to be suffering confusion as well as extreme distress and panic. Upon arrival at the home of Kim, officers found the lifeless bodies of her children, Roxanne age 2 and Don age 6 months who were both stabbed to death in their beds (de Ruiter & Kaser-Boyd, 2015). Kim is escorted by officers from her home to the police station where she is informed that her children are dead, her response in uncontrollable crying. While at the police station, Kim’s clothing is removed and she is later arrested for murder and manslaughter

The judge investigating Kim’s case requested a Forensic Mental Health Assessment (FMHA) be conducted (de Ruiter & Kaser-Boyd, 2015). The FMHA conducted consisted of forensic assessment instruments such as a standardized psychometric test of adult personality and psychopathology, the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory-2 (MMPI-2). Also used was the Structured Interview of Reported Symptoms (SIRS) and the Structured Interview for DSM-IV Personality (de Ruiter & Kaser-Boyd, 2015). The MMPI-2 was used in this case to assess Kim’s personality traits and psychopathology. The SIRS was conducted to assess malingering of mental disorders and related response styles. While the SIPD-IV was used to assess the existence or nonexistence of Axis II personality disorders as listed in the DSM-IV (de Ruiter & Kaser-boyd,