P042. Fetal abduction: patterns and similarities between modus operandi and perpetrators.

• In Event: Poster Session & Ice Cream Social

Abstract

“Fetal abduction” or “abduction by cesarean section” refers to the abduction of a fetus directly from the mother’s womb, through an improvised cesarean section procedure. The victims are lured by promises of help, and after being subdued, their bellies are cut open and the fetus removed. The perpetrators intend to register the baby as their child. Although records are still precarious and case studies are regionalized, the number of cases has been growing year after year, with 15 records being found in Brazil in the last thirteen years, resulting in an average of 1.25 cases per year. In the United States, 21 cases that occurred between 1987 and 2021 are currently being studied, with an average of 1.6 cases per year. In Mexico, 10 cases were recorded between 2014 and 2022, an average of 1.25 cases per year. In other countries, the frequency is quite low, with three cases recorded in Colombia, two in South Africa and one in El Salvador. This is a new crime, essentially female, and despite being considered a rare crime, the FBI, based on the study by Ann W. Burgess (2002), classified its occurrence as a new category of personally motivated homicide. With the advent of social networks, the “hunting territory” has expanded. According to the FBI, new parents should be careful when approaching them through social media. No mental illness was identified in the women who committed the crime of fetal abduction. Given that there is a certain degree of sophistication in these cases, it is worth analyzing the arguments of those who, assuming the defense of these women, try to claim insanity or strong emotion. The objective of this project is to evaluate the aggressors, through the procedural records and psychometric instruments, and to find and relate patterns and similarities between the cases.

Authors

• Hannah Beatrice Frantz Celtan, CENTRO DE ESTUDOS DO COMPORTAMENTO CRIMINAL

• Christian Costa, CENTRO DE ESTUDOS DO COMPORTAMENTO CRIMINAL