Intimate partner homicide in 10 European countries: Statistical data and policy development in a cross-national perspective

Abstract

Homicide is an important source of premature mortality, with intimate partners committing approximately one in seven homicides. Utilizing national statistics, this article explores recent data on intimate partner homicide in 10 European countries, and the UK. It discusses policy developments and the role of key policy-making actors and it provides a novel classification, based on the time when government action developed, that maps the 10 countries in a temporal sequence under three main headings: early birds, intermediate and newcomers. Notwithstanding great differences, the article finds common trends in policy developments. Institutional commitment in collecting intimate partner homicide data is consistent with an enduring record of both women's activism and public action in addressing intimate partner violence.

At the Interface of National and Transnational: The Development of Finnish Policies against Domestic Violence in Terms of Gender Equality

“…It seems that the state is a powerful instrument in the development of DV policies based on gender equality, but only on condition that it acts under pressure from or in combination with local activists and transnational bodies [30,39]. The existence of strong feminist movements and concerted activism within and across national borders seem to be the most important and consistent factor driving policy change.…”

“…Internationally, significant differences exist between countries in policy timing and progression. In a classification mapping 10 European countries according to when, over the last 40 years, government action against DV has been furthered, Finland is described as "a special case" ( [39], p. 610). Originally, Finland was classified as a newcomer in this issue as government action only began to be taken after the mid-1990s.…”

The Nordic Paradox and intimate partner violence against women (IPVAW) in Sweden: A background overview

“…Jones () notes that the presence of IPVAW in more egalitarian countries challenges the assumption that violence against women can be effectively addressed through legal and socio‐economic change. Meanwhile, although women's movements are crucial actors in processes of addressing IPVAW (Corradi & Stöckl, ), Caman et al () state that rates of male‐perpetrated IPH remain stable regardless of resources available to victims. Furthermore, while the literature under review attends to diversities among IPVAW victims in Sweden, in terms of, for example ethnic and migration backgrounds, socioeconomic status, region of residence, sexual orientation, and experiences of intersectional discrimination (GREVIO, ), it also shows that our knowledge about the effects and dynamics of such diversities in relation to IPVAW is not complete but in need of development (e.g.…”

“…As mentioned, however, the IPH rate increased substantially during 2018 (BRÅ, ). Corradi and Stöckl () observe that male homicide levels show greater variability than IPHs, which represent a ‘more stable’ type of homicide (also Ganpat, ; von Hofer, ). Comparably, sexual assault rates tend to remain stable when general crime data drop (EIGE, ).…”

“…Regarding IPVAW policy, Sweden has been categorized as an ‘early bird country’ (Corradi & Stockl, ) and assigned a position of international leadership (GREVIO, ). Wife battering was criminalized in 1864, and rape within marriage in 1965 (Nordborg, ).…”