Munchausen Syndrome Noted in Japanese Serial Killing Mom Case

Videos

Cristian Nicholas Fravel: Child Abuse Survivor Part 2

see larger video

sourced by Tina Kells

• 

  Created by Tina Kells | add comment

• 

  Created by Tina Kells | add comment

Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy is being blamed in the case of a Japanese woman who was arrested December 26 on charges of attempting to kill her 22-month old child with injections of "dirty water" made from sports drinks gone bad.  The child is now in intensive care fighting for her life.

The unnamed 35-year old woman may actually be a serial killing mom as Japanese officials report that three of the woman's other children had all died of a mystery illness before reaching the age of 4.  The woman's bizarre behavior while her child was in hospital has been cited as proof that she suffers from Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy.

Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy is a rare psychiatric condition in which an individual harms another, usually their own child, by staging a progressive and chronic illness.  The condition is routed in a pathological need for attention, is classified as a factitious disorder, and is characterized by behaviors such as making false claims, discrete abuse, and grandios declarations of accomplishments. 

Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy should not be confused with it's counterpart Munchausen Syndrome.  In Munchausen Syndrome the individual harms themself in an attempt to feign illness and garner attention or acclaim. In Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy they harm another, usually their own child. 

Child abuse advocates have made several attempts to have the condition excluded as a legally recognized psychiatric condition for the purposes of launching a defense against child abuse charges.  Munchausen Syndrome by Proxy sufferers are very likely to transfer their attention to a new target if their former target dies.