Attempted homicide-suicide by means of electrocution in the bathtub

In Western societies, currently most homicide-suicides are committed in problematic partnerships. In contrast, filicides followed by the suicide of a parent have become rare incidents. The present paper describes an uncommon case of the latter kind. A 36-year-old woman tried to kill her 7-year-old daughter and herself in the bathtub by placing a switched on hairdryer into the water. The girl could free herself without help, whereas her mother remained lying in the bathtub together with the still working electrical device. She was recovered by her father who had meanwhile been informed by the unharmed girl. While attempting to pull his daughter out of the bathtub he felt an electric current pass through his body. Surprisingly, all three persons survived without bodily harm and did not show any electrical current marks. The unique case constellation, the electrotechnical aspects and the psychiatric history of the perpetrator, who had been under the influence of alcohol and a sedative agent, are discussed with reference to the pertinent literature.