Criminal profiler on child's death: 'There's a taboo against seeing mothers as killers, but there are many cases'

A criminal profiler has analyzed the death of a two-year-old girl in Villa Gesell, highlighting a societal reluctance to consider mothers as capable of harming their children. Constanza Lamarque stated that specialized literature and numerous criminal cases demonstrate that mothers do kill their children, though motivations vary.

Based on the known investigation details, Lamarque suggested the case could display traits of an antisocial personality, marked by a need for control and dominance. However, she cautioned that this is a preliminary behavioral interpretation and a formal diagnosis requires a professional evaluation of the individual involved.

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There is a taboo within society where the mother cannot be seen as a killer, but there is a lot of literature and many cases of mothers who kill their children.

Lamarque also addressed the possibility of Munchausen syndrome by proxy, explaining its core difference: in that condition, the caregiver usually needs the child to remain sick, but alive, to garner attention and sympathy. This contrasts with a scenario where the child's death is the outcome.

Discussing the concept of a "criminal mind" in cases involving mothers and child deaths, Lamarque explained that such events often encounter a cultural barrier. "There is a taboo within society where the mother cannot be seen as a killer, but there is a lot of literature and many cases of mothers who kill their children," she stated. She noted that motivations can range from postpartum disorders to "altruistic" homicides, where the perpetrator mistakenly believes they are saving the child by killing them. In the Villa Gesell case, Lamarque's behavioral reading points towards an antisocial personality, driven by a psychological need for control over her children's lives.

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If one does a behavioral reading of everything in the case file, we would be facing an antisocial personality, where the psychological need is basically control and dominance over the lives and deaths of her children.