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The Lindsay Clancy Case: Why Do Some Mothers Kill Their Children?

2026-09-22 20:01:27Lifestyle SHKRUAR NGA REDAKSIA VOX
The Lindsay Clancy Case: Why Do Some Mothers Kill Their Children?
Lindsay Clancy

The case of Lindsay Clancy, the Massachusetts mother who killed her three children, has shocked and divided American public opinion.

Clancy claims she was suffering from postpartum psychosis at the time of the crime, while her case remained without a final decision after the trial was declared invalid earlier this month.

The case has brought a difficult question back to the center of the debate: how can a mother, who is traditionally seen as the first protector of her child, end up killing him?

From an evolutionary perspective, the parent-child bond is among the most important relationships for the survival of the species. However, the killing of offspring is not entirely unknown in the animal kingdom either.

Some species, in conditions of food shortage or inability to feed all their offspring, abandon or kill the weakest young. Even in humans, anthropologists have documented cases of infanticide in various societies over the centuries.

The reasons reported are often related to the belief that the family cannot afford to keep the child. The birth of twins, lack of food, another child still being breastfed, or illnesses and disabilities of the newborn, were among the factors mentioned.

In some societies, the gender of the child has also mattered. In communities where sons are considered more economically valuable or expected to care for their parents in old age, girls have historically been more exposed to abandonment, neglect, and murder.

But this does not mean that parents made these decisions easily or in a cold and rational manner. On the contrary, anthropological evidence shows that these are difficult events, often accompanied by silence and trauma.

Another element is the fact that humans are a species that raises children cooperatively. Mothers have historically relied not only on themselves, but also on fathers, grandparents, brothers, sisters, and the community.

Anthropologist Sarah Hrdy has described this as “the dark side of cooperative growth.” The same system that developed cooperation and altruism in humans can become problematic when support is lacking.

In modern societies, cases of child murder by parents are much rarer, but they have not disappeared. In England and Wales, between 2014 and 2025, an average of 26 children under the age of 16 were killed each year by their parents.

The risk is particularly high during the early postpartum period. Postpartum depression is relatively common, while postpartum psychosis is much rarer, about one or two cases per 1,000 births.

It can be accompanied by mania, delusions and hallucinations and is considered a psychiatric emergency. In Clancy's case, the defense claims she heard a voice ordering her to kill her children and then herself.

Experts from the prosecution have questioned whether the symptoms were consistent with a psychotic state. For this reason, science and the law have not yet provided a definitive answer on her responsibility.

Her case is particularly unusual for another reason. The victims were her three children, including two who were already past infancy. This is unlike historically documented patterns, where abandonment or murder was often linked to an inability to invest in a newborn.

Ultimately, neither evolutionary theory nor psychology can justify such an act. They can only help to understand why the postpartum period is particularly sensitive and why a lack of support can aggravate the situation.

In cases of serious mental illness, early identification and professional intervention can be crucial for the protection of mother and children.


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