Prof. Troy McEwan1, Dr Harry Dent1, Dr Nichola Tyler, Ms Alannah Cooper, Professor Michele Pathé1
1Swinburne University of Technology, Fairfield, Australia
Biography:
Professor Troy McEwan is a clinical and forensic psychologist and Professor of Clinical and Forensic Psychology at the Centre for Forensic Behavioural Science, Swinburne University of Technology. She also serves as a principal psychologist with Forensicare, where her work bridges research and clinical practice. Her expertise spans stalking, family violence, sexual offending, and deliberate firesetting, with a strong focus on risk assessment, prevention, and evidence-based intervention. Professor McEwan has published extensively, co-authored internationally recognised risk assessment tools, advised governments and justice agencies, and delivers training worldwide to improve responses to complex and harmful behaviours across forensic and community settings.
Abstract:
This presentation will discuss the results of recent research into the prevalence and nature of fire-use in homicide, with a focus on family homicides. Following several high-profile Australian cases of fire-involved family homicide in recent years, there has been increased attention to firesetting in the context of family violence. A handful of studies support the contention that family and intimate partner targets may be more common in high consequence fires (those resulting in significant property damage, injury, or death). There is also reason to think that firesetting and family homicide may have motivational similarities, with grievance being identified in both literatures as an important context. This shared motivational context could provide some explanation for any over-representation of fire-related homicides involving family or intimate partner violence.
The presented research uses a 20-year population (n = 679) of unique, non-suppressed, Victorian homicide cases identified through Court Services Victoria, the National Coronial Information System and the Australasian Legal Information Institute. Judges sentencing comments or findings in each case were coded across three waves with the first coding victim, homicide perpetrator, and offence variables, the second wave coding grievance, and the third wave coding use of fire in the homicide, with acceptable inter-rater reliability established in each wave. 12% of homicides involved the use of fire. The presentation will examine differences between homicides that did and did not involve fire (both generally and in family homicides) and whether grievance is over-represented as a motivation in homicides involving fire.