Filicide is the deliberate act of a parent killing his or her
own son or daughter. The term can also be applied to the parent
who has committed such an act. The word filicide derives from
the Latin word filius meaning "son". In some cultures, killing a
daughter who has disgraced the family is a common occurrence
(see honor killing). A 1999 US Department of Justice Study
concluded that between 1976 and 1997 in the U.S., mothers were
responsible for a higher share of children killed during infancy
while fathers were more likely to have been responsible for the
murders of children age 8 or older. Furthermore, 52% of the
children killed by their mothers were male (maternal filicide),
while 57% of the children killed by their fathers were male
(paternal filicide). Sometimes there is a combination of murder
and suicide in filicide cases. == Known or suspected filicides =