New report confirms guns as risk factor in intimate partner femicide

15 May 2012

The project PROTECT aims at contributing to the prevention and reduction of the most serious forms of gender-based violence against girls, young women and their children, such as grievous bodily harm, homicide and attempted homicide, including so-called honour crimes and killings. The main results of the project are summarised in the report, ‘PROTECT - Identifying and Protecting High Risk Victims of Gender Based Violence – 2011.’

In relation to the risk factors related to domestic violence, the PROTECT report confirms that, “In compliance with the aim of the study, results showed that there are identifiable risk factors for intimate partner femicide. Pre-incident risk factors included perpetrator’s access to a gun and previous threat with a weapon. Significant incident factors included the victim having left for another partner and the perpetrator’s use of a gun.”

The project includes several strings of action: research on statistics on homicides/femicides and attempted homicides/femicides, including so-called killings in the name of honour, a summary of intimate partner violence and intimate partner femicide risk assessment studies (literature review), research on standards of protection and support available to high risk victims, three expert group meetings, and the PROTECT Online Resource Centre on the WAVE website.

For more information and to access the report go to: http://www.wave-network.org/start.asp?ID=23494

Source:
WUNRN