Without effective early intervention,
domestic violence can escalate In severity and lead to death. When domestic
violence results In homicide, It Is often a reflection of the community's
failure to recognize the severity and potential Iethality of the problem,
and to address its critical role in early intervention.
When Victims are Killed
When victims are killed by their abusers, It
frequently occurs after they have been separated from them or have taken
other action to end the relationship. Since society continues to
question why women remain In abusive relationships, it Is essential to
consider how dangerous and difficult it often Is for victims to leave
abusive partners. Many victims stay because of a reasonable fear that they
will suffer severe injury or death If they attempt to end the relationship.
Unfortunately, when batterers murder their
partners these tragedies are usually portrayed as unintentional "crimes
of passion" caused by the man's intense love for the woman and
inability to live without her. Murder is, however, the ultimate expression
of the batterer's need to control the woman's
behavior.
Available statistics present a chilling
picture of the potential Iethality of male violence against their female
partners.
- FBI data indicate that 30 percent of
female homicide victims are killed by their husbands or boyfriends.
- In-depth research on all one-on-one murder
and non-negligent manslaughter cases from 1980-84 found that more than
one-half of female victims were killed by male partners.
Victims Who Kill
Research shows that when victims kill it is
much more likely to be in self-defense than when abusers perpetrate
homicide. Victims who resort to homicide have often tried repeatedly
and unsuccessfully to obtain protection from their abusers. If the
community fails to help ensure a victim's safety through law enforcement and
other systems, it runs the risk that lives will be lost.
- A Police Foundation study in Detroit and
Kansas City found that in 85 to 90 percent of "partner"
homicides, police had been called to the home at least once during the
two years preceding the incident; in more than half of these cases they
had been called five times or more.
- A Cook County (Illinois) Dept. of
Corrections study of the Chicago women's prison found that 40 percent of
inmates incarcerated for murder or manslaughter had killed partners who
repeatedly assaulted them. These women had sought police
protection at least five times before resorting to homicide.
- A California state prison study found that
93 percent of women who had killed their mates had been battered by
them; 67 percent of these women indicated the homicide resulted from an
attempt to protect themselves or their children.
In reality, only a very small percent of
victims kill their abusers to end the violence. Most suffer in silence
or are unable to leave the relationship. Several studies have
attempted to learn why a small percent of battered women resort to
homicide. These studies have found that battered women who kill in
self-defense:
- suffer frequent and severe abuse
- are victims of often brutal sexual assault
- are frequently threatened with death,
especially if they attempt to leave
- are caught and beaten if they leave the
abuser
- suffer severe psychological abuse, such as
being beaten in front of others or being forced to watch the batterer
kill a pet
- are socially isolated and often imprisoned
in their homes
Studies have found that many women have
killed their abusers to protect their children from physical or sexual
abuse.
