With Munchausen syndrome, you make up illnesses to be the center of attention. It is even worse with the proxy syndrome, where mothers talk their children into serious diseases. Cases have also been reported in Styria.
From the outside they are the most loving mothers, but behind closed doors they abuse their children. They are women who suffer from Munchausen syndrome by proxy. Behind the disease with the tricky name (also called Munchausen by proxy syndrome) lies a special form of Munchausen syndrome – based on the famous lying baron.
90 percent of perpetrators are their own mothers
While those affected by the latter only harm themselves to be the center of attention, those affected by the proxy syndrome deliberately make other people sick so that they require medical treatment. In most cases, their own children become victims – that is, a proxy – of the physical abuse. More than 90 percent are mothers.
What drives these women to their actions? What makes them so cruel and ruthless? “They are interested in attention,” says renowned forensic psychiatrist Manfred Walzl from Graz, who has treated such cases himself. Those affected do this out of praise and affection from doctors, hospital staff and people around them. “Then you find them self-sacrificing and caring.”
Girls who undergo operations for no reason
In the case of 24-year-old American Gypsy Rose Blanchard, this behavior culminated in murder. Her mother, Dee Dee, had abused her for decades. She claimed that her daughter suffered from leukemia, muscular dystrophy and other serious diseases.
Malnourished and isolated
Gypsy Rose was confined to a wheelchair, given formula and had to undergo numerous unnecessary surgeries. She was malnourished and lived in isolation. When she realized what her mother had done to her in 2015, she asked her boyfriend, whom she met online, to kill Dee Dee.
The bizarre criminal case caused a lot of commotion. The young woman became famous – and popular. She spent almost eight years in prison and the 33-year-old was released a few weeks ago. Her following is enormous, her photos on Instagram are liked millions of times.
But the ‘sick people’ are often also concerned about money
What Munchausen syndrome and proxy syndrome have in common is the need for attention. “But there are also people who use it to obtain financial donations,” Walzl explains. As in the case of a woman from Styria who has been working at the Graz courts for years. The woman fell on a door in a rented apartment. The now 57-year-old explained that this meant she could no longer walk and has since been confined to a wheelchair.
18 doctors “used up”
She demanded thousands of euros from the city. The result was a fraud report. Negotiations took place only sporadically. Panic attacks and other illnesses would bother the suspect. Eighteen doctors have already been deployed, and more will probably be deployed. Meanwhile, there are rumors that the alleged fraudster is actually ill.
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
