Intimate partner femicide (IPF): Medico-legal investigation at the Institutes of Legal Medicine of Freiburg (Germany) and Padova (Italy).

Violence against women is a significant public health concern, with femicide as its most extreme manifestation. This crime is often perpetrated by current or former intimate partners, thus taking the name of intimate partner femicide (IPF). Although international comparisons are essential for prevention policies, cross-country comparative studies are scarce in this context. The aim of this study was to evaluate and compare clinical, epidemiological and medico-legal characteristics of IPF autopsy cases investigated at the Institutes of Legal Medicine of two Western European cities, in order to identify a potential medico-legal pattern of IPF. Autopsy and police reports of IPF cases occurred in the judicial district of Freiburg (Germany) and Padova (Italy) from 2000 to 2022 were analyzed. Data relating to victims, perpetrators, relationship context, and circumstantial and pathological-forensic characteristics of the homicide were collected. Statistical analyses were performed to explore potential relationships between the data collected. Additionally, a review of the literature dealing with autopsy-based studies on IPF was performed. Overall, 82 cases of IPF were analyzed, 39 from Freiburg and 43 from Padova. A total of 6 papers fulfilled the review inclusion criteria. Our study identified a medico-legal pattern of IPF and demonstrated that it did not vary substantially between the two European Countries considered, suggesting that certain IPF characteristics are shared at the European level. However, a significant finding emerged regarding the higher prevalence of firearm-related IPFs in Italy compared to Germany. Forensic pathology research might contribute to developing targeted prevention policies to protect women from this lethal form of violence.

Women falling from heights in Turkey-can the Latin American model protocol help them?

It is not always possible to determine the exact origin of death in cases of suspicious female deaths. Deaths resulting from falls present many challenges in forensic medicine. In order to overcome these difficulties, we screened the approaches to suspicious female deaths from international documents aimed at preventing violence against women worldwide, and we conclude that the Latin American Model Protocol (LAMP) is the most qualified one in addressing this issue. We have converted the LAMP into a checklist, compared it with the circumstances in the cases we present, and evaluated the potential benefits that LAMP could provide. The study examines three cases of women from Turkey who have died by falling from a height. In all cases, the women's partners were present with them at the time of incident. In all these three cases, partners were in a legally suspicious position and claimed that the incident was a suicide. The investigation and trial processes were different in all three cases, and various difficulties were encountered during the establishment of the truth. This study has demonstrated that, despite the actual occurrence of femicide, the use of the investigation steps proposed by LAMP and a comprehensive approach utilizing the scientific methods of forensic medicine, law, and other disciplines that can assist in analyzing the incident during the investigation process can help reveal the cases where defendants claim cases are suicide despite cases being a femicide.

Tratamiento de la informacion de violencia de género. Con aportaciones de la inteligencia artificial / Treatment of the information on gender-based violence. With contributions from artificial intelligence

Introducción/objetivos la violencia contra la mujer sigue siendo un grave problema social y de salud a pesar de las medidas puestas en marcha en los últimos años. La exploración de las víctimas por el médico forense en los juzgados es de gran interés puesto que recibe información relacionada no solo con la agresión, sino también de su entorno social, familiar y económico. El objetivo es utilizar dicha información para identificar grupos de riesgo y mejorar/obtener las medidas necesarias. Material y métodos en este trabajo, el forense ha recogido, durante 8 años, una toma abundante de datos sobre las víctimas exploradas en L’Hospitalet de Llobregat. La muestra incluye 1.622 casos de mujeres víctimas de violencia de género. Se realiza un estudio descriptivo poblacional y de las lesiones. Resultados se exponen las principales variables estudiadas tanto socioeconómicas como referentes a la agresión en sí. Se trabaja también con base en la reentrada de las víctimas o repetición de las agresiones (revictimización), que son el 10,9% de la muestra. Finalmente, se presentan los resultados obtenidos tras aplicar técnicas de inteligencia artificial, en este caso, árboles de clasificación CaRT. Conclusiones con los resultados obtenidos concluimos que el tratamiento de la información recogida y sistematizada de la intervención médico-forense permite una mejor comprensión de la violencia sobre la mujer, de la que podemos extraer sugerencias sobre la adopción de medidas de atención y soporte a las víctimas y a los colectivos más vulnerables, así como sobre los recursos administrativos y la optimización de programas de prevención. (AU)

Introduction/objectives Violence against women is still a serious social and health problem, despite the measures implemented in recent years. The examination of the victims by the forensic doctor in the courts is of great interest since it provides information related not only to the aggression, but also to their social, family and economic environment. The objective is to use this information to identify groups at risk and improve/implement the necessary measures. Material and methods In this work, the forensic has collected, for eight years, abundant data on the victims examined in L'Hospitalet de Llobregat. The sample includes 1,622 cases of women who have been victims of gender violence. A descriptive study of the population and of the lesions has been carried out. Results The paper presents the main variables studied, both socioeconomic and referring to the aggression itself. This study also analyzes the reentry of the victims, the repetition of aggressions (revictimization), which are 10.9% of the sample. Finally, the results obtained after applying artificial intelligence techniques -in this case, CaRT classification trees- are presented. Conclusions With the results obtained, we conclude that the treatment of the information collected and systematized from the medical-forensic intervention allows a better understanding of Violence Against Women, from which we can extract suggestions on the adoption of care and support measures for the victims and the most vulnerable groups, as well as administrative resources and the optimization of prevention programs. (AU)

Collateral effects of COVID-19 stay-at-home orders on violence against women in the United States, January 2019 to December 2020.

BACKGROUND: The necessary execution of non-pharmaceutical risk-mitigation (NPRM) strategies to reduce the transmission of COVID-19 has created an unprecedented natural experiment to ascertain whether pandemic-induced social-policy interventions may elevate collateral health risks. Here, we assess the effects on violence against women (VAW) of the duration of NPRM measures that were executed through jurisdictional-level orders in the United States. We expect that stay-at-home orders, by reducing mobility and disrupting non-coresident social ties, are associated with higher incident reporting of VAW. METHODS: We used aggregate data from the Murder Accountability Project from January 2019 through December 2020, to estimate count models examining the effects of the duration of jurisdictional-level (N = 51) stay-at-home orders on femicide. Additionally, we used data from the National Incident-Based Reporting System to estimate a series of count models that examined the effects of the duration of jurisdictional-level (N = 26) stay-at-home orders on non-lethal violence against women, including five separate measures of intimate partner violence (IPV) and a measure of non-partner sexual violence. RESULTS: Results from the count models indicated that femicide was not associated with COVID-19 mitigation strategies when adjusted for seasonal effects. However, we found certain measures of non-lethal VAW to be significantly associated in adjusted models. Specifically, reported physical and economic IPV were positively associated with stay-at-home orders while psychological IPV and non-partner sexual violence were negatively associated with stay-at-home orders. The combination measure of all forms of IPV was positively associated with the duration of stay-at-home orders, indicating a net increase in risk of IPV during lockdowns. CONCLUSIONS: The benefits of risk-mitigation strategies to reduce the health impacts directly associated with a pandemic should be weighed against their costs with respect to women's heightened exposure to certain forms of violence and the potentially cascading impacts of such exposure on health. The effects of COVID-19 NPRM strategies on IPV risk nationally and its immediate and long-term health sequelae should be studied, with stressors like ongoing pandemic-related economic hardship and substance misuse still unfolding. Findings should inform the development of social policies to mitigate the collateral impacts of crisis-response efforts on the risk of VAW and its cascading sequelae.

Intimate Partner Violence in El Salvador: A Relationship Between Femicide Attempts and Barriers to Help-Seeking.

Research has examined the relationship between femicides, understood as the killing of any woman, and intimate partner violence (IPV). Additionally, women have been found to seek out formal help when they deem their experiences to be severe, yet many reasons prevent them from doing so; hindering our ability to interrupt the cycle of violence and further victimization. Using the Salvadoran 2017 Violence Against Women National Survey, this study examines the relationships between femicide attempts, IPV, and formal help-seeking. We find a significant positive relationship between experiencing a femicide attempt and IPV, and specific reasons for not seeking formal help.

Symbolic boundary work: Jewish and Arab femicide in Israeli Hebrew newspapers.

We analyze 391 news reports in Israeli newspapers between 2013 and 2015, covering murders of women and their family members by other family members and intimate partners. We compare articles where the perpetrators and victims are Jewish to those where the perpetrators and victims are Palestinian citizens of Israel (henceforth PCI). We found that articles tend to provide much more details about Jewish culprits than about PCI ones. As for ascribed motives, most murder cases by Jews were framed as an outcome of individual personality or the pathology of the culprit. Conversely, when Palestinian citizens were the killers, culture and tradition were invoked as the main motives. We suggest that the routine work of narration that the Israeli media preform when covering femicide is a case of political use of cultural stereotypes to gain moral ground in the intractable conflict between Jews and Palestinians.

The Rurality of Intimate Partner Femicide: Examining Risk Factors in Queensland.

While violence against women and domestic violence can be seen throughout Australia, emerging evidence suggests that intimate partner femicide (IPF) is more common in rural spaces than urban ones. This study examined 100 IPF cases to determine the rate of femicide and frequency of common risk factors in rural areas of Queensland, Australia. The study also explored how victims accessed services and the characteristics of rural IPF and male offenders. Findings indicated that IPF is more common in rural areas and associated risk factors are similar between urban and rural cases. Rural IPF was more likely to occur during a current relationship and offenders were found to be less likely to conceal their actions. These differences suggest that the physical and social isolation of rural spaces may facilitate higher rates IPF. Implications discuss the need for rural-focused policies and responses.

Unveiling the Dark Nexus: A systematic review on the interplay of mental health, substance abuse, and socio-cultural factors in femicide.

A shared definition of femicide would help to distinguish it from the murder of a woman and understand its root causes favoring prevention. We conducted a Systematic Literature Review (SLR) to assess how (and if) femicide cases were related to mental disorders. Articles papers that explicitly define or discuss femicides or articles that, albeit not expressly mention femicides, thoroughly compare generic homicides and homicides with female victims. We analyse 3546 articles were retrieved from the databases, and 75 studies fulfilled the eligibility criteria and were included in the SLR. Many forms of femicide emerge worldwide as people's values, beliefs, attitudes, and behaviours evolve (intimate partner femicide, femicide-suicide, religious femicide, honour, revolt femicide) and state of vulnerability. A tiny percentage of femicides occur at the hands of subjects with diagnosed mental disorders, and controversies exist regarding the possible link between femicide and the use of drugs and/or alcohol and other factors. The complex problem of violence against women must be addressed with a transdisciplinary approach and targeted interventions for both the victims and the perpetrators. The present SLR shows that it is not possible to link femicides to mental disorders and that socio and cultural factors appear to be more relevant. Further quantitative research is warranted to disentangle the root causes of this heinous phenomenon plaguing our times. Our studies show that using the proposed definition of feminicide would help to delimit and adequately recognise violence in courtrooms, promote the culture of equality, and identify adequate policy strategies for prevention.

Drug-facilitated sexual assault followed by femicidal chloroform poisoning and suffocation: A case-report of criminal responsibility.

INTRODUCTION: Criminal responsibility evaluation represents one of the most controversial and debated issues in forensic psychiatry. Although clear procedures have been recommended, little research exists on decision-making process by forensic psychiatrists. We present a case assessing the criminal responsibility of a murderer who committed femicide as a result of chloroform poisoning and suffocation after a drug-facilitated sexual assault. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A.S., a 30-year-old female, was found dead in the home of S.P., a 50-year-old male. S.P. recounted killing A.S. by forced inhalation of chloroform, when the woman had experienced sensory clouding following unintentional ingestion of Zolpidem, a hypnotic agent. A multidisciplinary approach was taken to resolve the case. Autopsy, histological, genetic, and toxicological examinations were performed by a forensic pathologist, while a digital forensic examiner analysed electronic devices. A pool of three forensic psychiatrists and two psychologists was asked to assess the mental state of S.P. at the time of the crime. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: The cause of death of A.S. was identified as a lethal chloroform intoxication in altered consciousness caused by Zolpidem, while homicidal suffocation was also described. Mobile forensics demonstrated that S.P. had videotaped the crime scene, clearly revealing that A.S. had been sexually assaulted by S.P. before dying. Criminal responsibility of S.P. was evaluated through various psychological tests and seven interviews with the accused, each lasting an average of 180 min. Specialists concluded that S.P. could not be exempted from being responsible for the homicide.

Homens autores de homicídios femininos e feminicídios: análise de casos entre 2018 e 2019 na cidade de Campinas, São Paulo, Brasil / Male perpetrators of female homicides and femicides: analysis of cases between 2018 and 2019 in the Campinas city, São Paulo, Brazil

Resumo A violência contra as mulheres em entornos domésticos e familiares tem raízes na desigualdade existente entre os gêneros. Estudos sobre autores de violência letal são necessários para uma compreensão ampliada do fenômeno. O objetivo do estudo é caracterizar os crimes dessa natureza e seus autores, mediante autópsias verbais realizadas com conhecidos e familiares de mulheres vítimas de homicídio na cidade de Campinas. No total, foram estudados 38 casos de homicídio feminino, dos quais 63,2% correspondem a feminicídios. A maioria dos responsáveis pelos crimes eram conhecidos (parceiros, cônjuges e namorados) nos casos de feminicídio, e desconhecidos (sujeitos cuja identidade foi ignorada) nos casos de homicídio feminino. As mortes ocorreram majoritariamente em entornos domésticos, sendo ocasionadas mediante o uso expressivo de violência e o emprego de objetos cortantes/perfurantes e armas de fogo. A fuga foi a conduta mais frequente depois da perpetração dos assassinatos. Os casos foram discutidos articulando intervenções voltadas para grupos reflexivos de masculinidade, centros de educação e reabilitação ou programas de recuperação, problematizando as dificuldades e ganhos no marco da Lei Maria da Penha.

Abstract Violence against women in domestic and family environments has its roots in the inequalities that exist between the genders. Studies on perpetrators of lethal violence are necessary for an expanded understanding of the phenomenon. This study aims to characterize the crimes of this nature and their perpetrators, with verbal autopsies carried out with acquaintances and relatives of women victims of homicide in Campinas. In total, we studied 38 cases of female homicide, of which 63.2% correspond to femicides. Most perpetrators were acquaintances (partners, spouses, and lovers) in the cases of feminicide, and not acquaintances (subjects whose identity was unknown) in the cases of female homicide. The deaths occurred mostly in domestic environments and were caused by the expressive use of violence and the use of sharp/perforating objects and firearms. Fleeing was the most frequent behavior after the perpetration of the murders. The cases are discussed articulating the interventions aimed at the reflexive groups of masculinities, educational and rehabilitation centers, or recovery programs, problematizing their difficulties and gains within the framework of Lei Maria da Penha.

Femicide in Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil: Matched case-control study.

Amid the pandemic of violence against women, it is imperative to identify the contributing factors to lethal forms of violence against them. Femicides are the result of the intersection of variables that increase women's vulnerability. This study seeks to estimate the risk factors associated with death due to femicide in Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil. We considered sociodemographic variables, employment, exposure to violence, and psychoactive substance use. Our analysis employed conditional logistic regression. Using a case-control study design, we paired femicide cases with female controls from the general population, matching them by age and human development index, with a ratio of four controls per case. We analyzed 24 femicide cases and 96 controls. Women in the femicide group had lower educational attainment and were more likely to originate from outside the state of São Paulo. They predominantly held informal jobs, had experienced physical violence from intimate partners within the last 30 days, and exhibited higher alcohol, crack, and antidepressant consumption. Women in the femicide group reported more exposure to threats compared to those in the control group. Two variables significantly explained the likelihood of being a femicide case: a history of intimate partner violence in the last 30 days (OR 73.3, 95% CI: 8.1 to 661.7) and originating from outside the state of São Paulo (OR 6.5, 95% CI: 1.7 to 25.2). In this text, we discuss the findings and methodological challenges encountered in researching lethal violence against women.

Personality Comparison between Lethal and Non-lethal Intimate Partner Violence Perpetrators and Their Victims.

Intimate partner violence against women (IPVAW) and femicide (intimate partner femicide, IPF), as a worldwide phenomenon, cannot be explained in a simple way. From an ecological point of view, there are individual factors contemplated. In the current studies, we consider personality as an individual factor to clarify what differentiates a non-lethal IPVAW situation from a femicide. Study 1 was designed to investigate the accuracy with which trained interviewers judged the personality of a group of IPVAW perpetrators during an interview. The target sample of study 1 was composed of 293 males who after being interviewed completed a measure of personality assessing the "Big Three" model of personality. The interviewers performed fairly accurate judgements about the personality of the target participants. Study 2 shows the differences in personality, using Eysenck's personality model, between the IPF and IPVAW perpetrators and their victims. The total sample study 2 was formed of 551 participants distributed among IPF perpetrators, IPVAW perpetrators, and the victims of both groups. Differences in proportions were observed between both groups of perpetrators as well as between each group and their respective victims. With these findings, we propose personality as a femicide risk factor that should be taken into consideration by police officers and other practitioners when receiving an IPVAW report.

Impacto de la pandemia y las medidas de confinamiento sobre la violencia letal contra las mujeres en México y Colombia / Impact of the pandemic and confinement measures on lethal violence against women in Mexico and Colombia / Impacto da pandemia e das medidas de confinamento na violência letal contra as mulheres no México e na Colômbia

La emergencia sanitaria ocasionada por la pandemia del virus SARS-CoV-2 produjo limitaciones y cambios en la movilidad que transformaron el comportamiento, tanto de la sociedad en general como de los actores criminales en particular, impactando en los índices delictivos. Esto llevó a pensar a algunos analistas en la posibilidad de un "efecto rebote en el delito", luego de terminar el resguardo derivado de la pandemia. El objetivo de este artículo es revisar el impacto de la pandemia y sus medidas de confinamiento sobre la violencia letal contra las mujeres en México y Colombia. Para ello, a través de un ejercicio de estadística descriptiva, se analiza la tendencia del comportamiento del homicidio en ambos países desagregado por género, focalizando el análisis en 2019, 2020 y 2021, años considerados como periodos pre pandemia, pandemia y pos pandemia. Los hallazgos demuestran la falta de evidencia de un aumento significativo en los delitos de homicidio, homicidios de mujeres y feminicidios en relación con el periodo pre pandemia. Los homicidios de mujeres y los feminicidios dan cuenta de una continuidad en la cadena de violencias que reciben las mujeres a lo largo de su vida.

The health emergency caused by the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic led to limitations and changes in mobility that transformed the behaviour of both society in general and criminal actors in particular, having an impact on crime rates. This led some analysts to consider the possibility of a "rebound effect on crime" after the end of the pandemic's safe haven. The aim of this article is to review the impact of the pandemic and its confinement measures on lethal violence against women in Mexico and Colombia. To do so, by means of a descriptive statistical exercise, we analyse the trend in homicide behaviour in both countries disaggregated by gender, focusing the analysis on 2019, 2020 and 2021, years considered as pre-pandemic, pandemic and post-pandemic periods. The findings demonstrate the lack of evidence of a significant increase in homicide, female homicide and femicide offences relative to the pre-pandemic period. Homicides of women and femicides show a continuity in the chain of violence against women throughout their lives.

A emergência de saúde causada pela pandemia de SARS-CoV-2 levou a limitações e mudanças na mobilidade que transformaram o comportamento da sociedade em geral e dos atores criminais em particular, com um impacto nas taxas de criminalidade. Isso levou alguns analistas a considerar a possibilidade de um "efeito rebote no crime" após o fim do refúgio seguro da pandemia. O objetivo deste artigo é analisar o impacto da pandemia e suas medidas de confinamento sobre a violência letal contra as mulheres no México e na Colômbia. Para isso, por meio de um exercício de estatística descritiva, analisamos a tendência do comportamento dos homicídios em ambos os países desagregados por gênero, concentrando a análise em 2019, 2020 e 2021, anos considerados como períodos pré-pandêmico, pandêmico e pós-pandêmico. Os resultados demonstram a falta de evidências de um aumento significativo nos crimes de homicídio, homicídio feminino e feminicídio em relação ao período pré-pandêmico. Os homicídios de mulheres e os feminicídios mostram uma continuidade na cadeia de violência contra as mulheres ao longo de suas vidas.

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

This study presents a review of femicides over 31 years (1991-2021) from the Republic of Ireland. A total of 253 cases were located and reviewed, of those 125 were intimate partner homicides (IPH) and 128 non-intimate homicides (NIH). One hundred and ninety-nine (78%) girls and women were killed by a male known to them - intimate partner (husband, partner, boyfriend, ex-partner, ex-boyfriend) (n = 125; 48%), family members (son, grandson, brother, cousin) (n = 25; 10%) and/or acquaintances (n = 49; 19%) from adolescence to old age. Thirty-one (12%) were killed by a stranger and 23 cases remain unsolved at this time. The method of killing depended on the relationship and age of the victim and perpetrator. The majority of IPH victims were less than 45 years of age (n = 101). Twenty-four were over 45 years of which six were over 60 years of age. The leading method of killing in IPHs was stabbing and strangulation and this was more prevalent in those aged between 26 and 45 years. As age increases, IPH decreases with the exception of cases of IP homicide-suicide. Adolescents (13-19 years) and young women (20-25 years) were more often killed by strangulation. Strangulation was also the leading cause of death in stranger killings particularly with sexual violence. There were 20 cases of matricide, with 17 perpetrators suffering from a mental illness at the time of the killing. The leading method of homicide in non-intimate homicides was blunt force trauma.

Violência contra mulheres e a pandemia da covid-19 no estado de Pernambuco / Violence against women and the COVID-19 pandemic in the state of Pernambuco / Violencia contra la mujer y pandemia de la COVID-19 en el estado de Pernambuco

O início do ano de 2020 foi marcado pelo surgimento da covid-19. Com o intuito de reduzir o número de casos da doença, algumas estratégias foram adotadas, como o isolamento social e a quarentena. Diante dessas medidas, muitas mulheres que já eram vítimas da violência ficaram sujeitas a conviver 24 horas por dia com seu parceiro agressor. O objetivo deste estudo foi descrever os homicídios e a violência doméstica e familiar perpetrada contra a mulher antes e durante a pandemia da covid-19 no estado de Pernambuco. Realizaram-se três estudos: (1) estudo ecológico misto da violência contra a mulher, homicídios femininos e feminicídios antes da pandemia, no qual foi utilizado o método dos mínimos quadrados ordinários (regressão linear simples) para estimar retas de tendência. No período pré-pandêmico (2016-2019), ocorreram 33.289 notificações de violência contra a mulher, 1.038 homicídios femininos e 319 feminicídios. Foi constatado que, dos 184 municípios, 142 (76,8%) apresentaram tendência crescente na análise da taxa de violência contra mulher, com predomínio na mesorregião do Agreste; para os homicídios femininos e feminicídios, 83 (44,9%) e 113 (61,1%) dos municípios tiveram tendência estacionária, respectivamente. (2) Estudo transversal com abordagem quantitativa para discutir a violência doméstica contra a mulher durante os primeiros seis meses do ano de 2019 em comparação com o mesmo período do ano de 2020, que correspondeu ao período de distanciamento social mais rígido no estado. Nos estágios iniciais da pandemia da covid-19, foram registrados 19.496 casos de violência doméstica e familiar contra a mulher, com redução de 7,4% quando comparado ao mesmo período do ano de 2019 (21.064 registros). (3) Estudo ecológico de série temporal (2015-2020) do número e das taxas dos homicídios femininos nas mesorregiões do estado de Pernambuco. A análise temporal dos homicídios femininos mostrou tendência crescente das taxas de homicídios na mesorregião do Sertão e na faixa etária de 20-39 anos em 2020. Assim, a pandemia da covid-19 mostrou as vulnerabilidades já existentes na vida das mulheres, aumentando a situação de risco daquelas que vivam em situação de violência.

The year 2020 was marked by the emergence of COVID-19. To reduce the number of cases, preventive measures such as social distancing and quarantine were adopted, putting many women who were already victims of violence in the position of living with their partner 24 hours a day. This study described the homicides and domestic violence perpetrated against women before and during the COVID-19 pandemic in the state of Pernambuco. Three studies were conducted: 1) a mixed ecological study on violence against women, female homicides and feminicides before the pandemic, with trend lines estimated by ordinary least squares (simple linear regression). The pre-pandemic period (2016-2019) recorded 33,289 notifications of violence against women, 1,038 female homicides, and 319 feminicides. Of the 184 municipalities, 142 (76.8%) showed an increasing trend in the rate of violence against women, predominantly in the Agreste mesoregion; 83 (44.9%) and 113 (61.1%) municipalities showed a stationary trend for female homicides and feminicides, respectively; 2) a quantitative cross-sectional study discussing domestic violence against women during the first six months of 2019 compared to the same period in 2020 (period of stricter social distancing in the state). The early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic recorded 19,496 cases of domestic and family violence against women, a 7.4% reduction when compared with the same period in 2019 (21,064 records); 3) an ecological time series study (2015-2020) on the number and rates of female homicides in the Pernambuco mesoregions. Temporal analysis of female homicides showed an increasing rate trend in the Sertão mesoregion among the age group 20-39 years in 2020. The COVID-19 pandemic unveiled the already existing vulnerabilities in women's lives, increasing the risk situation of those already living in situations of violence.

El inicio del año 2020 estuvo marcado por el surgimiento de la COVID-19. Para reducir los contagios de esa enfermedad, se adoptaron algunas estrategias, como el aislamiento social y la cuarentena. Ante estas medidas, muchas mujeres que ya eran víctimas de violencia se vieron sometidas a convivir las 24 horas al día con su pareja agresora. El objetivo de este estudio fue describir los homicidios y la violencia doméstica y familiar perpetrados contra las mujeres antes y durante la pandemia de la COVID-19 en el estado de Pernambuco (Brasil). Se realizaron tres estudios: 1) Estudio ecológico mixto de violencia contra la mujer, homicidios femeninos y feminicidios antes de la pandemia, en el cual se utilizó el método de mínimos cuadrados ordinarios (regresión lineal simple) para estimar las líneas de tendencia. En el periodo prepandémico (2016-2019) hubo 33.289 notificaciones de violencia contra las mujeres, 1.038 homicidios femeninos y 319 feminicidios. Se encontró que, de los 184 municipios, 142 (76,8%) mostraron una tendencia creciente en el análisis de la tasa de violencia contra las mujeres, con predominio en la mesorregión de Agreste; para los homicidios femeninos y feminicidios 83 (44,9%) y 113 (61,1%) de los municipios, respectivamente, tuvieron una tendencia estacionaria. 2) Estudio transversal, con enfoque cuantitativo, para discutir la violencia doméstica contra las mujeres, durante los primeros seis meses del año 2019 en comparación con el mismo período del 2020, que correspondió al período de distanciamiento social más estricto en el estado. Se registraron 19.496 casos de violencia doméstica y familiar contra la mujer, con una reducción del 7,4% en comparación con el mismo período del año 2019 (21.064 registros). 3) Estudio ecológico de series temporales (2015-2020) del número y tasas de homicidios femeninos en las mesorregiones del estado de Pernambuco. El análisis temporal de los homicidios femeninos mostró una tendencia creciente de las tasas de homicidio en la mesorregión de Sertão y en el grupo de edad de entre 20-39 años en 2020. La pandemia de la COVID-19 expuso las vulnerabilidades ya existentes en la vida de las mujeres, aumentando la situación de riesgo de aquellas que ya vivían en situación de violencia.

Femicide trends at the start of the 21st. century: Prevalence, risk factors and national public health actions.

Lethal violence requires a gender-based analysis which recognises that femicide is different from homicide in many ways. Structural factors such as national income and wealth equality together with government policies may influence the scale of the problem globally. This study is an original attempt to examine associations between femicide rates, these structural factors and national action plans using a longitudinal design. Data from two international surveys were combined to examine anti-femicide actions (n = 133 countries) and temporal femicide prevalence trends (n = 66 countries) in the context of national income and wealth inequality factors. The United Nations Survey of Crime Trends and Operations of Criminal Justice Systems was used to estimate femicide rates per country 2003-2014 and the World Health Organisation Global Status Report on Violence Prevention provided data on policy initiatives in place by 2014. Results indicate that femicide rates decreased by 32% worldwide but increased by 26% in low- and medium-income countries. The structural factors of low income and high inequality were significantly negatively associated with the 2014 femicide rate. Structural factors must be addressed alongside policy and legal initiatives if significant gains are to be made toward eradicating violence against women and girls.

[Decrease in Mexico's life expectancy due to multiple homicides: the murder of women adjacent to the homicide of one or more men]. / Descenso en la esperanza de vida debido a los homicidios múltiples en México: homicidios de mujeres adyacentes al homicidio de uno o más hombres.

The objective is to analyze the effect of multiple homicides on male and female life expectancy and to provide empirical evidence of the temporal and spatial associations between male and female homicide rates by age group during the period 2002-2020. Using data from the National Institute of Statistics and Geography (INEGI) and population projections from the National Population Council (CONAPO), mortality rates due to homicide from 2002-2020 were estimated for both men and women, and the adjacency of homicides of men and women was analyzed, along with the spatial proximity between multiple homicides of men and women, along with changes in life expectancy due to homicide. Individual homicides have caused the greatest decrease in life expectancy for both men and women. The negative impact of multiple homicides on both female and male life expectancy began to draw attention in 2008. By analyzing the murders of women adjacent to the homicides of one or more men questions are raised about whether these crimes are primarily the result of criminal violence, and to a lesser extent the role of gender.

El objetivo es analizar el efecto de los homicidios múltiples sobre la esperanza de vida para la población masculina y femenina y ofrecer algunas evidencias empíricas sobre la correspondencia temporal y espacial entre las tasas de homicidio de hombres y mujeres, según grupo de edad, durante el periodo 2002-2020. A partir de datos del Instituto Nacional de Estadística y Geografía (INEGI) y de las proyecciones de población del Consejo Nacional de Población (CONAPO), se estimaron las tasas de mortalidad por homicidios en hombres y mujeres entre 2002 y 2020, se analizó la adyacencia de homicidios de hombres y mujeres, la relación espacial entre homicidios múltiples de hombres y mujeres y los cambios en la esperanza de vida debida a homicidios. Los homicidios unipersonales han provocado la mayor pérdida de esperanza de vida de hombres y mujeres. El efecto negativo sobre la esperanza de vida femenina y masculina debida a homicidios múltiples comienza a ser visible a partir de 2008. La exploración de los homicidios de mujeres adyacentes al homicidio de uno o más hombres plantea la inquietud de si estos crímenes son un resultado preponderante de la violencia delincuencial y en menor medida por razones de género.

The impact of stay-at-home orders on safety and stability for women: A topical review of intimate partner violence and intimate femicide in the United States during the initial phase of COVID-19.

Purpose: We intend to identify the links between COVID-19, intimate partner violence (IPV), and intimate femicide (IF) for women in the United States by answering the following questions: (1) what does the existing literature say about the intersection of COVID-19, IPV, and IF and (2) what are the contributing factors leading to rates of violence against women during COVID-19? Method: This topical review summarizes studies published on IPV and IF during the initial stages of COVID-19 covering the period of March 1, 2020, to July 31, 2021. This review identified 22 articles addressing rates of IPV and IF during COVID-19, exacerbating risk factors for women, and recommendations for responses and intervention efforts. Results: Findings revealed an increase in help-seeking calls during the initial phase of the pandemic and COVID-related circumstances such as extended confinement, unemployment, school closures, social isolation, and financial strains intensifying women's experiences of violence. Data also revealed an increase in purchasing firearms, which increases the risk of women being killed by an intimate partner (Lyons et al., 2020). The nexus of COVID-19 and IPV disproportionately impact women, specifically, Latina immigrants. Implications for utilizing an intersectional framework to further examine these issues and promote social and political change are provided. Conclusion: Since the rates of IPV and femicide have been reported as increasing during COVID-19, understanding the complexities and stressors associated with life in a pandemic is essential for addressing inequalities women face and the health of our communities.

Femicide in Mexico. Who Are the Slain Women According to News Media? A Quantitative Study of Social Representations of Victims and Perpetrators.

Research on femicide news revealed discriminatory narratives against the victims in specific cases and social contexts. This article uses a quantitative approach to analyze the news content that serves to create social representations of victims and perpetrators. We propose a methodology based on examining independent elements in the descriptions, identifying extratextual patterns, and providing the data to compare the social representations of intimate partner violence (IPV), familiar, and non-IPV femicides. Three online news outlets were analyzed from July 2014 to December 2017, creating a corpus of 2,527 articles. The results revealed that it is more common to create negative representations of victims than negative representations of the perpetrators.