Suicide Pacts: Six Cases and Literature Review |
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Authors: | Sebastien Prat M.D. Camille Rérolle M.D. Pauline Saint‐Martin M.D. |
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Affiliation: | 1. Institut Médico‐légal, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Tours, Université Fran?ois Rabelais de Tours, 37044 TOURS Cedex, France;2. Additional information and reprint requests:;3. Sebastien Prat, M.D.;4. Institut Médico‐légal;5. CHRU Tours;6. 37044 Tours Cedex 9;7. France;8. E‐mail: sebastienprat@hotmail.fr |
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Abstract: | A suicide pact is the decision of two or more people to die together. This event is rare. The majority of suicide pacts victims are married, socially isolated, with a serious physical illness in one or both partners. We performed a retrospective study of all cases of suicide pacts leading to death between January 1, 2003 and December 31, 2010 referred to the Forensic Medicine Department of Tours (France). Six cases were recorded as suicide pacts. Firearms were the preferred means of death. Five suicide notes were discovered. For some cases, it was difficult to establish whether death was the result of a suicide pact or of a homicide–suicide without the consent of the victim. An objective element, such as a suicide note and motive, is required to prove that a suicide pact is involved. The prevalence of mental disorders is hard to assess. In France, psychological autopsies are not performed in such cases, as the investigation is usually very sparse after the death of both individuals. |
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Keywords: | forensic science forensic psychiatry suicide pact double suicide elderly suicide |
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