Understanding Femicide from the Perspective of Perpetrators

Martín Hernán Di Marco, PhD, MSC and Dabney P. Evans, PhD, MPH

Most research on intimate femicide, the intentional killing of a woman or girl by a past or current intimate partner, has justifiably focused on victims. Yet, intimate femicide perpetrators are rarely studied despite their important role as drivers of violence. In this charla we present the results of two interrelated studies focused on femicide perpetrators in Argentina. The first study examines explanatory narratives of men who intentionally killed their female intimate partners. Four archetypes emerged: victim, redemption, extraordinary, and outburst. The second study identifies risk factors and gendered narratives among male perpetrators from a public health and human rights perspective. Three themes were identified: abandonment is a trigger for femicide perpetrators; perpetrators do not view themselves as violent; and the femicide act serves to transfer emotional pain. Both of these studies illustrate the relevance of understanding femicide perpetrators, their lives and narratives, as a way to fully comprehend this phenomenon and design evidence-based interventions.