Psychopathic femicide: The influence of psychopathy on intimate partner homicide

Abstract

High scores in psychopathy were associated with acts of violence, and the prevalence of this condition is greater among the prison population than among the general population.In terms of its relation to femicide, two studies, one carried out in Sweden and another in Spain with a prison population, found that psychopathy is an uncommon condition among perpetrators of femicide. This study analyzes 97 cases of femicide in the whole of Spain, in which it was possible to evaluate the degree of psychopathy of the perpetrators using the Psychopathy Checklist-Revised (PCL-R). The scores are analyzed not only directly, but also in terms of Factors and Facets. The results show an average in the total score of the PCL-R of 14.4, with only 13 subjects (13.4%) presenting scores of 25 or more, and just 3 (3.1%) of these presenting scores of 30 or higher. It was found that, in general, high scores in psychopathy are associated with shorter relationships and less time between the first complaint, the breakup, and the femicide. What is more, characteristics of the victims, such as addiction to toxic substances or economic dependency, also demonstrated a relationship to the scores of the perpetrators of femicide in the PCL-R. Lastly, it was found that the scores in the different dimensions of psychopathy are associated with different types of violence, whereby there was a noteworthy difference between the most explicit violence and control exercised over the partner. K E Y W O R D Sfemicide, intimate partner violence, psychopathy, psychopathy checklist-revised Highlights• Psychopathy is a rare condition among perpetrators of femicides in Spain.• 13 subjects (13.4%) presented scores of 25 or more and just 3 (3.1%) of these presenting scores of 30 or higher.• High scores in psychopathy correlate with shorter romantic relationships.• Femicides with high scores in Factor 1 develop a pattern of physical violence to resolve conflicts.• In femicides with high scores in Factor 2, psychological control may be more reactive than instrumental.

Femicide in Northern Ireland during the COVID‐19 lockdown: A model for differentiating male offender characteristics

“…A similar result was reported by Santos et al. (2022). It has been established empirically that MD offenders have a propensity to commit FMF instead of IPF or in conjunction with IPF, and this trend was observed with the NI sample (Oram et al., 2013).…”

“…Similarly, Belfrage and Rying (2004) suggest femicide offenders are four times more likely to also commit suicide compared to homicides that do not focus on women. Also, Solinas‐Saunders (2022) compared the sociodemographic and contextual factors related to all 153 FS and 186 IPF recorded in Italy from 2015 to 2019 and found that perpetrators of FS were more likely to murder multiple victims and less likely to have any violent criminal convictions prior to the offence compared to IPF offenders.…”

Women Victims of Intimate Partner Violence and Intimate Partner Homicide: A Typology Based on Victimization Variables

“…The instrument used to obtain the data of interest was a semistructured interview designed by the National Team for the Detailed Review of Gender Homicides of the Secretary of State for Security of Spanish Ministry of the Interior (González-Álvarez, Garrido, et al, 2018;Santos-Hermoso, González-Álvarez, López-Ossorio, et al, 2022;Santos-Hermoso et al, 2021). Two interview models were used, but with the same type of questions, one for women victims of IPVAW and another for people close to the victims of IPHAW to elaborate a psychological autopsy (research methodology to improve knowledge in cases of IPHAW; McPhedran et al, 2022).…”

Female Homicide in Italy in 2021: Different Criminological and Psychopathological Perspectives on the Phenomenon

“…Global, European, and Italian data all indicate that most female homicide victims are killed by intimate partners or family members [ 4 , 7 ]. Many possible explanations have been suggested for this finding, with most focusing on the psychopathological, sociological, and criminological perspectives on the phenomenon [ 8 , 9 , 10 , 11 , 12 , 13 ]. Gender inequality is considered the most important factor influencing gender-based violence; therefore, it is recognized as a significant aspect of intimate partner homicide.…”