Characteristics of Women Who Perpetrated Intimate Partner Homicide, Their Experience of Violence, and Punitive Practices

Abstract

This article examines intimate partner homicides perpetrated by women, deconstructing the traditional conception of the “female offender” as one who has renounced her feminine nature, and instead focusing on the duality of the offending and victimized woman. A mixed-method empirical study was conducted with the aim of revealing the characteristics of women who have perpetrated intimate partner homicide, their experiences of violence, and punitive practices in Lithuania. A quantitative content analysis of first-instance criminal court convictions, combined with semi-structured interviews with women serving fixed-term custodial sentences at Panevėžys Prison and prison staff, revealed that women who perpetrated homicide commonly exhibit social vulnerability associated with unemployment, limited education, alcohol use, and intimate partner violence, which emerges as a significant source of strain. Although approximately two-thirds of the defendants stated during the trial that they had previously experienced intimate partner violence, the majority had rarely sought formal institutional support due to distrust in its effectiveness or social stigma. The findings further indicate that these homicides were typically perpetrated without qualifying circumstances, were unplanned, and situational in nature. Accordingly, the sentences imposed by courts were generally below the statutory average and were significantly influenced by the recognition of provocative or risky behaviour by the victim, as well as other mitigating circumstances. Finally, the article briefly discusses women’s subjective perceptions of the justness of their sentences, revealing disappointment with the insufficient consideration of their experiences of violent victimization in the determination of criminal liability.