Child homicide in Cairo from 2006 to 2010: characteristics and trends.

BACKGROUND

Crimes towards children have drawn public attention over the decades. Several studies have been conducted to determine the risk factors of victimizing children. Conducting studies of this crime in Cairo, the capital city of Egypt, would help in understanding the motives behind it in such a densely populated area.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODOLOGY

A review of death charts was conducted in Zeinhom morgue in the years of 2006-2010 to study the trends and characteristics of child homicide in Cairo. The cut-off for a child age was at 18 years. Data related to the victim and offender was collected.

RESULTS

Child homicides represented 7.97% of total child deaths in the studied period. Most of them (25%) fall in the age group of 1-6 years. Females were the majority in the age group of 12-18 years (89%). The offender was the father in 28% of cases and the cause of death was mainly trauma to the head (42%).

CONCLUSION

Further studies should be conducted to discern the risk factors of this crime in Cairo with special considerations to the motives behind murdering females in teen ages.