Suchana Seth, the 39-year-old CEO of an AI startup in Bengaluru, was arrested on Monday night for allegedly murdering her four-year-old son at a service apartment in Goa. She was apprehended in Karnataka’s Chitradurga district while attempting to flee in a cab with her son’s body in a bag. The motive behind the murder is yet to be fully determined, but initial investigations suggest that Seth cited an “estranged relationship” with her husband as a factor.
The alleged murder of a 4-year-old child by his mother has left the community in shock and raised questions about the motives behind such a heinous act. “Understanding the motives behind the alleged murder of a 4-year-old child by their mother in the Goa case is challenging without having the complete context. In situations like these, mental illness is often considered a factor, but it may not be the case, especially if the individual’s functioning in other aspects of life was normal. The woman involved held the position of CEO in a startup and seemed to manage well in her professional life. Although she might have experienced stress, it’s perplexing that it would lead to such an extreme action unless it was linked to a severe mental health issue,” says Dr Sneha Sharma, Consultant, Psychiatry, Aakash Healthcare, New Delhi.
In cases of severe mental illness, instances of violence are rare, but they can occur. In this situation, the mother might have had certain predispositions or a particular temperament that made her impulsive. “Factors like chronic stress or substance influence might have triggered impulsive and aggressive behavior, even leading to criminal actions. Individuals with specific temperaments or personalities lacking empathy or remorse might exhibit such behavior, often associated with psychopathic or sociopathic traits. It’s crucial to note that this act of extreme violence seems unlikely to be solely due to mental illness. Labeling violent acts as solely linked to mental illness creates stigma and prevents individuals from seeking help for their own mental health conditions,” adds Dr Sharma.
Dr. Paramjeet Singh, Hon. Consultant (Psychiatrist), PSRI Hospital, New Delhi, adds, “Review of psychiatric literature on maternal filicide shows a pattern of maternal depression, psychosis, prior mental health treatment, suicidal ideation, extended suicide (where murder of child is an extension of suicide by mother), interpersonal difficulties with partner, poverty, social isolation, substance use in mother, etc.”
Certainly, the mother might have been under immense stress, especially due to a custody battle and estrangement from her husband. However, for someone to take such extreme actions often suggests underlying predispositions, which might stem from past experiences, upbringing, or family dynamics during childhood. “It’s plausible that the motive could be related to seeking revenge against the spouse, viewing the child as an extension of the partner. This could have led to extreme violence against the child as a means of punishing or causing distress to the spouse. Without more details, this seems a possible underlying reason,” adds Dr Sharma.
A mother killing her son is a tragic act that contradicts everything positive in the sense of maternal love and protection. For Dr Gorav Gupta, Senior Psychologist, Founder and Director, Tulasi Healthcare, Gurugram feels to understand such a behavior one should keep in mind that the individual cases may be affected by numerous factors. “History of abuse or trauma, might impact her mental and emotional state considering the history of abuse or trauma in the mother’s life. If the trauma is not resolved, it may result in creating dysfunctional coping mechanisms and can interfere with parenting abilities.”
Dr Gupta also feels, any form of substance abuse that includes alcohol and drugs has the potential for decreasing judgment ability which can in turn cause impulsive behavior and reckless actions. Mental health problems may make substance abuse issues even worse.
Dr Gupta opines, “Psychopathic or Sociopathic Tendencies, sometimes, individuals show psychopathic or sociopathic traits with no sympathy over a sense of guilt and regret. This may lead to violent actions, including hurting one’s own child. Such cases should be addressed sensitivity and without jumping to conclusions because every case is complex. These cases are normally fully investigated by legal authorities and mental health professionals so that they can establish the root causes as well as appropriate treatment interventions.”
As more information surfaces, a clearer picture might emerge regarding the circumstances surrounding this tragic incident.
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