Intimate Partner Femicide
Source: McFarlane et al. "Stalking and
Intimate Partner Femicide," Homicide Studies, 3 (4), Sage Publications,
Inc.
Researchers examined the risk factors of actual and attempted intimate partner
femicide (murder of women). The report is based on a total of 141 femicide and
60 attempted femicide cases. In addition to examining closed police records,
researchers also interviewed the victims of attempted femicide and knowledgeable
proxies of the deceased women. Intimate partner was defined as a current or
former spouse, boyfriend, or same-sex partner.
Key findings:
 Prevalence
and Extent
- 76% of femicide victims and 85% of
attempted femicide victims had been stalked by their intimate partners in the
year prior to their murder.
- The number of stalking behaviors experienced by each woman ranged
from
1 to 15 for femicide victims and 1 to 12
for attempted femicide
victims.
- Most women were stalked after the
relationship with their partner had ended. 88% of femicide victims and 68% of
attempted femicide victims were stalked by their former partners.
 Reports to Law Enforcement
- 54% of femicide victims and 46% of
attempted femicide victims reported the stalking to police before they were
killed by their stalkers.
 Physical Abuse and
Stalking
- 67% of femicide victims and 71% of
attempted femicide victims had been physically abused by their intimate
partner in the 12 months before the (attempted) murder.
- 89% of femicide victims and 68% of
attempted femicide victims who had been physically abused had also been
stalked in the 12 months before the murder. femicide victims.
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