Femicide in Ireland 2012–2023

IF 1.2 4区 医学 Q3 MEDICINE, LEGAL
Kate McGoldrick , SallyAnne Collis , Linda Mulligan
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Abstract

Introduction

Femicide represents the dramatic end-point on a spectrum of violence against women and is an increasingly prevalent medico-legal issue. Whilst there is no definition of femicide in the Irish legal system, femicide can be understood as the gender based killing of women or girls.1 The pervasiveness of gender-based violence against women is a growing cause for concern with 2018 estimates by the World Health Organisation (WHO) revealing that 1 in 3 women have experienced Intimate Partner Violence (IPV).2 Femicide remains poorly defined and underreported worldwide due to enduring stigmatisation, shame and a lack of official statistics addressing national femicide rates.

Aim

The aim of this study was to explore Irish cases of femicide, quantify the prevalence of femicide in Ireland and identify any emerging trends over a 12-year-period.

Methods

All homicides referred to the Office of the State Pathologist (OSP) from 2012 to 2023 were reviewed and a total of 97 cases of femicide were ?identified and included in this study.

Results

Femicide rates increased from 1 in 5 (19 %) homicides referred to the OSP in 2012–2020 to 3 in 10 from 2021 to 2023 (29 %). Domestic femicides accounted for 74 % of cases, with 41 % of women murdered in the home they shared with their killer. 56 % of women were killed by a current or former intimate partner and 20 % by a family member. Sharp force injuries were present in 75 % of femicides associated with a history of sexual violence. These cases had the highest average number of injuries per case (n = 30) and a significantly lower average age than that of the entire cohort (19 years versus 41 years).

Conclusion

The true scale of gender-based violence against women remains largely hidden due to a lack of focused official statistics and a clear definition of femicide. As populations become more diverse, and displacement secondary to environmental, or humanitarian crises becomes more common, it is essential that official data is collected in order to understand and ultimately prevent gender-based violence in this vulnerable cohort.

2012-2023 年爱尔兰杀戮女性情况
导言:杀害妇女是暴力侵害妇女行为的极端表现,也是一个日益普遍的医学-法律问题。虽然爱尔兰法律体系中没有杀害妇女的定义,但杀害妇女可理解为基于性别杀害妇女或女童。世界卫生组织(WHO)2018 年的估计显示,每 3 名妇女中就有 1 人曾遭受过亲密伴侣暴力(IPV)。2 由于长期存在的污名化、羞耻感以及缺乏针对全国杀戮女性比率的官方统计数据,杀戮女性行为在全球范围内仍未得到充分定义和报告。本研究旨在探讨爱尔兰的杀戮女性案件,量化杀戮女性行为在爱尔兰的发生率,并确定12年间任何新出现的趋势。方法对2012年至2023年期间提交至国家病理学家办公室(OSP)的所有凶杀案进行审查,共确定97起杀戮女性案件并将其纳入本研究。家庭杀戮女性案件占 74%,其中 41%的女性是在与凶手共同居住的家中被杀害的。56%的妇女是被现任或前任亲密伴侣杀害的,20%是被家庭成员杀害的。在有性暴力史的女性被害案件中,75%存在锐器伤。这些案件的平均伤害次数最多(n = 30),平均年龄明显低于整个群体(19 岁对 41 岁)。随着人口日趋多样化,环境或人道主义危机导致的流离失所现象越来越普遍,收集官方数据对于了解并最终预防这一弱势群体中的性别暴力至关重要。
本文章由计算机程序翻译,如有差异,请以英文原文为准。
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来源期刊
CiteScore
2.70
自引率
6.70%
发文量
106
审稿时长
57 days
期刊介绍: The Journal of Forensic and Legal Medicine publishes topical articles on aspects of forensic and legal medicine. Specifically the Journal supports research that explores the medical principles of care and forensic assessment of individuals, whether adult or child, in contact with the judicial system. It is a fully peer-review hybrid journal with a broad international perspective. The Journal accepts submissions of original research, review articles, and pertinent case studies, editorials, and commentaries in relevant areas of Forensic and Legal Medicine, Context of Practice, and Education and Training. The Journal adheres to strict publication ethical guidelines, and actively supports a culture of inclusive and representative publication.
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