Lovers and killers: A forensic medical study of female intimate partner homicide in the Republic of Ireland

Abstract

Female intimate partner homicide (FIPH) is an increasingly complex and significant issue globally. It is rapidly becoming a politically heavy subject for the Irish government, and a continuing and concerning problem for the criminal justice system. Recent years have seen a substantial increase in the unlawful killings of women by their husbands, current and ex-partners. In a review of 117 cases of FIPHs over a 30-year period, 1991–2021, examining the age of both victims and perpetrators, causes of death, motives behind the killings and the outcome of the cases, it was possible to build up a picture of FIPHs in Ireland with distinct patterns emerging regarding cause of death, age, and motives. Within this review 25 (21%) homicide-suicide cases were analysed. These were mostly in rural areas and the main cause of death was gunshot injuries; this unfortunately is reflecting a worrying trend within rural communities.

Victim–perpetrator relationship, age and method of homicide in intimate and non-intimate cases of femicide from the republic of Ireland

“…But other factors such as alcohol, drug addition, financial pressures and mental illness were also present but in lesser numbers. 17 Mental illness had a significant role in cases; however, it was not as prevalent in IPHs with only nine cases of which five were chronic in nature. In comparison with family members, it was the primary motive in 17 out of 20 cases of matricides.…”

“…The homicides tended to occur at weekends between individuals known to each other often following an argument. 16 A recent study on 116 IPHs found the leading causes of death were stabbing, strangulation, blunt force trauma and gunshot injuries with the majority of killings committed by husbands and boyfriends, 17 and the leading motive was jealousy and estrangement.…”

Female Homicide Victims in Cook County, Illinois

“…Most female victims are killed by intimate partners or family members. A controlling attitude and possessiveness often characterize the alleged offender in these cases, as well as the fear of the victim leaving the relationship when the perpetrator is an intimate partner 4,5 . However, it can also occur in other contexts, such as rape, sexual violence, harmful practices, hate crimes, and organized crime, making it harder to keep track of the actual number of cases.…”

“…A controlling attitude and possessiveness often characterize the alleged offender in these cases, as well as the fear of the victim leaving the relationship when the perpetrator is an intimate partner. 4,5 However, it can also occur in other contexts, such as rape, sexual violence, harmful practices, hate crimes, and organized crime, making it harder to keep track of the actual number of cases. Violence against women is affected by extremely heterogeneous geographical variability: in some countries, rape homicide prevalence is even higher than that of all female homicides in the United States, whereas other areas suffer from a growing number of female victims of urban violence and organized crime.…”