A nationwide forensic case-series of femicides in Italy – Part 1: Clues to the motives of the murder

Understanding the motives behind femicides is crucial to design effective prevention strategies and to support women's self-determination, free from threats to their mental and physical integrity. We conducted a retrospective, multicenter forensic study involving 27 Italian Institutes of Legal Medicine, analyzing 1238 female homicides (1950-2023). Cases were classified as femicide or non-femicide female homicide according to the medico-legal definition of femicide as the murder due to the failure to recognize women's right to self-determination. Motives were categorized into 12 groups, and relevant anamnestic and circumstantial data were collected. Of the 1238 cases, 410 were identified as femicides, 395 as non-femicides, and 433 were excluded for insufficient information. Femicides were most frequently driven by jealousy/rejection (n = 185; 45.1 %) and separation/divorce (n = 144; 35.1 %), often in the context of intimate partner violence or inability to accept the end of a relationship. Non-femicides were predominantly associated with the perpetrator's psychiatric disorder and/or drug addiction (n = 126; 31.9 %), violent aggression without gender-related motive (n = 69; 17.5 %), victim's illness (n = 63; 15.9 %), or economic reasons (n = 58; 14.7 %). In the Italian context, most femicides stem from relational dynamics - particularly jealousy, rejection, and separation - whereas non-femicides are more often linked to psychiatric illness, substance abuse, or non-gender-related aggression. Incorporating these findings into clinical risk assessment protocols, especially in emergency and primary care settings, may help identify women at high risk and guide targeted prevention strategies.

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Publication Details

Journal
Legal Medicine
Published
2025-09-05
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.legalmed.2025.102703
Citations
4
Primary Topic
Homicide, Infanticide, and Child Abuse
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
16.81
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article

A nationwide forensic case-series of femicides in Italy – Part 1: Clues to the motives of the murder

Silvia Damiana Visoná, Giulia Vignali, Margherita Neri, Federica Cascone et al.
4 citations
Legal Medicine
Homicide, Infanticide, and Child Abuse
16.81
article

A nationwide forensic case-series of femicides in Italy – Part 1: Clues to the motives of the murder

Silvia Damiana Visoná, Giulia Vignali, Margherita Neri, Federica Cascone, Gennaro Baldino, Georgia Zara, Lorenzo Desinan, Martina Focardi, Antonio Oliva, Francesco Angiola, Monica Salerno, Giovanna Laura De Fazio, Anna Laura Santunione, Cristoforo Pomara, Giulia Mercuri, Emanuela Turillazzi, Rossana Cecchi, Matteo Antonio Sacco, Vilma Pinchi, Francesco Ausania, Michele Treglia, Raffaele Giorgetti, Roberto Demontis, Sarah Gino, Luigi Cipolloni, Carlo Pietro Campobasso, Isabella Aquila, Mario Gabbrielli, Antonietta Porzio, Sara Sablone, R. A. Marino, Andrea Verzeletti, Alessandra Sannella, Susi Pelotti, Luca Solari, Ugo Da Broi, Graziamaria Corbi, Isabella Caristo, Antonina Argo, Paolo Fais, Jessika Camatti, Arianna Giorgetti, Matilde Sassani, Marco Vinceti, R. Zoia, Alessio Asmundo, Ginevra Malta, Lorenzo Franceschetti, Valentina Bugelli, Francesco Introna, Francesco Ventura, Ernesto d’Aloja, Guido Viel, Bianca Beltrame, Alice BACCHIO, Elena Lacchè, Debora Ginocchio, Mariagrazia Calvano, Luigi Tonino Marsella, RM Gaudio, Elvira Ventura Spagnolo, Sofia Bodini, Carlo Moreschi, Simone Balduini, Elisabetta Lubian, Alice Buzzelli, Alessandra De Martina, Camilla Gozzelino, Jessica Sanna, Federica Bora
article en
4 citations

Abstract

Understanding the motives behind femicides is crucial to design effective prevention strategies and to support women's self-determination, free from threats to their mental and physical integrity. We conducted a retrospective, multicenter forensic study involving 27 Italian Institutes of Legal Medicine, analyzing 1238 female homicides (1950-2023). Cases were classified as femicide or non-femicide female homicide according to the medico-legal definition of femicide as the murder due to the failure to recognize women's right to self-determination. Motives were categorized into 12 groups, and relevant anamnestic and circumstantial data were collected. Of the 1238 cases, 410 were identified as femicides, 395 as non-femicides, and 433 were excluded for insufficient information. Femicides were most frequently driven by jealousy/rejection (n = 185; 45.1 %) and separation/divorce (n = 144; 35.1 %), often in the context of intimate partner violence or inability to accept the end of a relationship. Non-femicides were predominantly associated with the perpetrator's psychiatric disorder and/or drug addiction (n = 126; 31.9 %), violent aggression without gender-related motive (n = 69; 17.5 %), victim's illness (n = 63; 15.9 %), or economic reasons (n = 58; 14.7 %). In the Italian context, most femicides stem from relational dynamics - particularly jealousy, rejection, and separation - whereas non-femicides are more often linked to psychiatric illness, substance abuse, or non-gender-related aggression. Incorporating these findings into clinical risk assessment protocols, especially in emergency and primary care settings, may help identify women at high risk and guide targeted prevention strategies.

Legal MedicineVol. 78
University of Siena (IT), Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore (IT), University of Foggia (IT), University of Pisa (IT), University of Messina (IT), University of Rome Tor Vergata (IT), University of Verona (IT), University of Modena and Reggio Emilia (IT), Università degli Studi del Piemonte Orientale “Amedeo Avogadro” (IT), University of Parma (IT), University of Udine (IT), University of Padua (IT), University of Cagliari (IT), Università degli studi di Cassino e del Lazio Meridionale (IT), University of Milan (IT), Mario Negri Institute for Pharmacological Research (IT), IULM University (IT), University of Ferrara (IT), University of Pavia (IT), San Raffaele University of Rome (IT), Magna Graecia University (IT), University of Catania (IT), Ospedali Riuniti di Ancona (IT), Federico II University Hospital (IT), University of Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli" (IT), Accademia di Belle Arti di Catanzaro (IT), University of Florence (IT), University of Turin (IT), University of Bari Aldo Moro (IT), University of Naples Federico II (IT), University of Birmingham (GB), University of Brescia (IT), University of Genoa (IT), University of Palermo (IT), Union des Industries Ferroviaires Européennes (BE), University of Bologna (IT)
Openalex Percentile: Top 1%
Homicide, Infanticide, and Child Abuse
16.81
DOIOpen Access PDFOpenAlex
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