A nationwide forensic case-series of femicides in Italy – Part 2: Clues to its epidemiology, prediction and prevention

Femicides are grievous, but little is known about risk factors and preventive measures. We present the results of a study conducted across 27 Italian Forensic Institutes. We analyzed 1,238 cases of female homicide and, adopting the definition of femicide as the murder due to the failure to recognize women's right to self-determination, we identified 410 cases as femicides and 395 as non-femicides Current partners were identified as aggressors in a much larger proportion of femicide cases (241 femicides vs. 145 non-femicides; odds ratio (OR) of femicide 2.46, 95 % CI 1.85-3.27), such association being more pronounced for ex-partners (102 vs. 11; OR 11.56, 95 % CI 6.10-21.92). Sharp weapons showed a higher frequency in femicides (168 vs. 140; OR 1.26, 95 % CI 0.95-1.68). Femicides were more often associated with bodies found in vehicles (31 vs. 9; OR 3.50, 95 % CI 1.64-7.45) and outdoor (68 vs. 43; OR 1.62, 95 % CI 1.08-2.45). There was an indication of femicides being more frequently associated with overkilling (87/323 vs. 71/324; OR 1.24, 95 % CI 0.88-1.76) and even more with lesions located in erogenous zones (94/316 vs. 70/325; OR 1.38, 95 % CI: 0.97-1.95). However, the strongest (though statistically imprecise) association emerged for overkilling in erogenous zones (12/398 vs. 6/389; OR 1.95, 95 % CI: 0.72-5.25). The number of lesions showed a nonlinear association with femicide likelihood. These findings offer forensic indicators that could contribute in predicting and potentially prevent femicide occurrence in a Western population such as the Italian one.

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Publication Details

Journal
Legal Medicine
Published
2025-09-16
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.legalmed.2025.102708
Citations
3
Primary Topic
Homicide, Infanticide, and Child Abuse
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
12.60
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article

A nationwide forensic case-series of femicides in Italy – Part 2: Clues to its epidemiology, prediction and prevention

Giulia Vignali, Margherita Neri, Federica Cascone, Gennaro Baldino et al.
3 citations
Legal Medicine
Homicide, Infanticide, and Child Abuse
12.60
article

A nationwide forensic case-series of femicides in Italy – Part 2: Clues to its epidemiology, prediction and prevention

Giulia Vignali, Margherita Neri, Federica Cascone, Gennaro Baldino, Georgia Zara, Giovanni Cecchetto, Riccardo Mazzoli, Lorenzo Desinan, Martina Focardi, Francesco Baldari, Monica Salerno, Paolo Fais, Francesco Sessa, Tommaso Filippini, Anna Laura Santunione, Cristoforo Pomara, Giulia Mercuri, Emanuela Turillazzi, Rossana Cecchi, Matteo Antonio Sacco, Vilma Pinchi, Francesco Ausania, Michele Treglia, Chiara Franzetti, 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, Virginia Tordoni, Graziamaria Corbi, Giorgia Franchetti, Isabella Caristo, Antonina Argo, Marco Vinceti, Giorgia Guarnieri, Jessika Camatti, Arianna Giorgetti, R. Zoia, Alessio Asmundo, Ginevra Malta, Lorenzo Franceschetti, Valentina Bugelli, Francesco Introna, Francesco Ventura, Matteo Nioi, Ernesto d’Aloja, Guido Viel, Bianca Beltrame, Flavio PERTOSA, Elena Lacchè, Mariagrazia Calvano, Antonio Oliva, Luigi Tonino Marsella, RM Gaudio, M Fede, Elvira Ventura Spagnolo, Carlo Moreschi, Loredana Buscemi, Simone Balduini, Alice Buzzelli, Alessandra De Martina, Jessica Sanna, Silvia Pascari
article en
3 citations

Abstract

Femicides are grievous, but little is known about risk factors and preventive measures. We present the results of a study conducted across 27 Italian Forensic Institutes. We analyzed 1,238 cases of female homicide and, adopting the definition of femicide as the murder due to the failure to recognize women's right to self-determination, we identified 410 cases as femicides and 395 as non-femicides Current partners were identified as aggressors in a much larger proportion of femicide cases (241 femicides vs. 145 non-femicides; odds ratio (OR) of femicide 2.46, 95 % CI 1.85-3.27), such association being more pronounced for ex-partners (102 vs. 11; OR 11.56, 95 % CI 6.10-21.92). Sharp weapons showed a higher frequency in femicides (168 vs. 140; OR 1.26, 95 % CI 0.95-1.68). Femicides were more often associated with bodies found in vehicles (31 vs. 9; OR 3.50, 95 % CI 1.64-7.45) and outdoor (68 vs. 43; OR 1.62, 95 % CI 1.08-2.45). There was an indication of femicides being more frequently associated with overkilling (87/323 vs. 71/324; OR 1.24, 95 % CI 0.88-1.76) and even more with lesions located in erogenous zones (94/316 vs. 70/325; OR 1.38, 95 % CI: 0.97-1.95). However, the strongest (though statistically imprecise) association emerged for overkilling in erogenous zones (12/398 vs. 6/389; OR 1.95, 95 % CI: 0.72-5.25). The number of lesions showed a nonlinear association with femicide likelihood. These findings offer forensic indicators that could contribute in predicting and potentially prevent femicide occurrence in a Western population such as the Italian one.

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 Brescia (IT), University of Genoa (IT), University of Palermo (IT), Union des Industries Ferroviaires Européennes (BE), University of Bologna (IT)
Openalex Percentile: Top 2%
Homicide, Infanticide, and Child Abuse
12.60
DOIOpen Access PDFOpenAlex
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