Twenty years of feminicides in Milan: a study

The research, conducted by the Institute of Forensic Medicine on 200 cases of murdered women, identifies certain constants and aims to contribute to 'putting an end to feminicide'. Even if the real solution is only one: the end of male domination.
Please be aware that the translation of contents, although automatic, has a cost to Feminist Post but is provided to you without any charge. Please consider making a contribution via the "Support us" page if you intend to use our translation service intensively.
The contents of this site are translated using automatic translation systems without the intervention of professional translators.
Translations are provided for the sole purpose of facilitating reading by international visitors.
Share this article

It was published by the magazine Science & Justice (volume 62-2, March 2022, pp. 214-220) the study "Twenty years of feminicide in Milan: A retrospective medico-legal analysis". (Twenty years of femicide in Milan: A retrospective medicolegal analysis) (you can read it here).

The study was conducted by Lucie Biehler-Gomez, Lidia Maggioni, Stefano Tambuzzi, Alessandra Kustermann, Cristina Cattaneo, the research team affiliated with the Laboratory of Forensic Anthropology and Odontology (LABANOF) of the University of Milan and/or the Sexual and Domestic Violence Service (SVSeD) of the Policlinico di Milano.

Most relevant results:

-        The killers are mostly intimate partners or ex-partners.

- Murders of women occur more frequently in domestic environment

- Women under 50 years of age are most frequently killed by a blunt trauma.

- Women over 50 years are more frequently killed by trauma than by blunt instrument.

Here theresearch abstract:

Femicide constitutes one of the main causes of premature death in women, yet it has been the subject of little research until recently. To understand and address this persistent phenomenon, more data on murders of women and girls need to be collected and analysed.

This study examines all cases of murders of women found at the Institute of Forensic Medicine in Milan (Italy) from 1999 to 2019; 2020/2021 data are shown separately given the possible distortion concerning violence against women and feminicide due to the forced cohabitation and stay in the house during the lockdown for the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic.

In this study, specific factors were considered, including the age and nationality of the victims, where the bodies were found, the relationship of the victim to the murderer and the injuries sustained. As a result, out of more than 15,000 autopsies and 535 homicides investigated at the Institute of Forensic Medicine in Milan from 1999 to 2019, 200 murders of women were found, an average of 9.5 feminicides per year.

The majority of the victims were Italian (74%) and half were between 18 and 49 years old. The murders were committed the vast majority in the domestic sector (78.5%) by male perpetrators (at least 85%), linked to the victims as partner or ex-partner and family members (73.5%).

The murders were mainly perpetrated with cutting weapons (32%) or blunt objects (21.5%), firearms (18.5%) and choking or strangulation (16.5%).

This study is part of a growing effort to Improve the collection and analysis of data on feminicide. Study and monitor feminicide rates (or "femicide watch") will enable us to better understand, reduce and ultimately end feminicide globally.

Translation by Maria Celeste

Post by Feminist Post: Analyses and data collections will certainly be useful to understand the phenomenon, which shows no sign of decreasing. But what will 'end' feminicide is only the end of patriarchy and the domination of men over women.


Much of the news published by Feminist Post you will not read elsewhere. That is why it is important to support us, even with a small contribution: Feminist Post is produced solely by the voluntary work of many people and has no funding.
If you think our work can be useful for your life, we will be grateful for even the smallest contribution.

You can give us your contribution by clicking here: Patreon - Feminist Post
You might also be interested in
26 May 2023
Italian news
Children, Politics
This time it is: in the skin of children
Against the ruling of the Court of Cassation, which prevents the full transcription of birth certificates of children born from surrogacy by allowing only the biological parent to be named and indicating stepchild adoption for his or her partner, some male couples in Milan are undertaking a new form of resistance: not even registering the biological parent - or both or neither - leaving the child in an administrative limbo in which, in this case, he or she would be deprived of the most elementary rights, from paediatrician to school
After the Prefecture of Milan, in application of a ruling by the Court of Cassation, blocked the transcription of the full birth certificates of children born on the initiative of same-sex couples - indicating that only the biological parent should be transcribed and the stepchild adoption, i.e. adoption in special cases, which is perfectly legitimate, should be the only way forward - the municipality of Milan is experiencing this, according to the report by Roberta Osculati, PD vice-president of the City Council: same-sex couples [...].
Read now
15 May 2023
Insights
Gender identity, Motherhood, Male violence
Jama: when men give birth
In an incredible, recently published study, the American Medical Association's journal, one of the most important in the field, tries to give scientific backing to the idea that childbirth is not just a female experience. Because if it were exclusive, it would also be exclusionary. An operation on language in collision with reality
As we know, there are words that can no longer be used, especially in international scientific documents and studies. At the top of the list of tabooed words are all the terms that have to do with female difference understood as the exclusive possibility of giving birth to human beings, and thus: 'woman' -if biologically understood and not open to define persons not born women-, 'mother' and 'maternal', 'breast', with reference to breast-feeding, and so on. The operation on language aims to qualify [...].
Read now
13 May 2023
International news
Gender identity, Male violence
Legislation against violence against women should talk about sex and not 'gender identity': open letter to the European Parliament
Violence against women will not be combated if the texts of laws and treaties do not clearly refer to sex and not 'gender'. We join feminist and gender critical groups in an appeal to MEPs who will vote on the Commission's anti-violence proposal: write clearly in the text that women and girls are the female sex and leave no room for gender ideology
We, too, signed the letter to the European Commission on combating violence against women and domestic abuse drafted by WORIADS, a coalition of gender-critical citizens whose aim is to inform and raise awareness of the dangers of gender identity in the European institutions. The letter demands that European regulations on violence against women clearly recognise the category of biological sex. Below is the full text that will be sent to the members of the European Parliament who will vote on the [...].
Read now
11 May 2023
Italian news
Politics, Male violence
The Istanbul Convention belongs to women! The Right does not obstruct Europe's ratification
By abstaining from yesterday's vote, preliminary to the European accession to the most important treaty against violence against women, the MEPs of the Lega and Fratelli d'Italia gave in to the pressure of the Pro Vita, who read that document as anti-family and pro-gender (the same concerns expressed by Turkish Prime Minister Erdogan). But Italy has already acceded to the Convention and apparently this is not the government's orientation. And Lgbtq claims have nothing to do with it. Women between two misogynist fires: religious extremism and queer instrumentalisation
Yesterday, a resolution was passed in Europe calling on the EU to accede to the Istanbul Convention (2011), the most important international treaty -legally binding- against violence against women and domestic violence. Italy has already ratified the Convention in 2013, while 6 European countries (Bulgaria, Czechia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania and Slovakia) have not yet done so. Yesterday's vote is preliminary to the accession of the entire EU to the Convention. Incredibly, the MEPs of Fratelli d'Italia and the Lega abstained from the vote. [...]
Read now
5 May 2023
Italian news
Maternity
The 'wheel' is not enough: help for mothers who wish to be mothers
Cots for life and the possibility of giving birth anonymously are very important. But the note left by the mother of Noemi, the baby left at the Red Cross headquarters in Bergamo, speaks of a desire that circumstances have made impracticable. What is needed is a place where, when they want to be mothers, women in difficulty can find all the support and assistance they need
The little girl left by her mother in the Cradle for Life in Bergamo - once called Ruota - has been given the name Noemi. Noemi will soon have a family and a home, and for her we wish 'all the good and happiness in the world', as her mother wished in a touching note that in just a few lines succeeds in recounting a life: 'Born this morning 3/5/2023, at home. Just me and her as in these 9 months. I can't, but [...]
Read now
4 May 2023
Italian news
GPA, Maternity
Baby Fair in Milan: something to hide?
A strict and detailed code of conduct imposed on those attending Wish for a Baby, an assisted reproduction exhibition. Strictly personal badges, a ban on filming and handing out flyers, the threat of expulsion, even appropriate clothing, bag searches and scanners. And uniformed or plainclothes policemen to keep watch. Why so much caution? Isn't this just an information event on the various techniques? Perhaps there will also be talk of surrogacy, the propaganda of which is a crime in Italy? Or are they just trying to frighten off those who intend to be there to peacefully protest against the reproduction market?
Those who have registered for the Wish for a Baby fair scheduled to take place on 20-21 May in Milan have received in the last few hours this strict and detailed code of conduct that they will have to strictly adhere to if they want to be admitted to the event. But if it is, as the website explains, a 'celebration of new life', meeting 'the best fertility experts from around the world', 'attending seminars' and obtaining information, why all these [...]
Read now
1 2 3 ... 21