Filicide in South Asia: Demography, risk factors, psychiatric, and legal aspects.

This article reviews the limited research on filicide—the act of a parent or parental figure killing a child up to 18 years old—in South Asia, focusing on studies published between 2000 and 2020. It identifies only 13 reports from the region, predominantly from India and one from Pakistan, with no data from six other South Asian countries. The review finds that mothers are the primary perpetrators, often killing female children under six years old, with depression being the most common associated psychiatric condition. Socioeconomic stressors such as poverty, marital discord, and family pressure also contribute significantly, and violent methods like poisoning, burning, and hanging are frequently used. The study highlights the scarcity of systematic data and calls for more rigorous research to better understand filicide's risk factors and to inform prevention and legal interventions in South Asia.