Examining Female-Perpetrated Intimate Partner Homicides in Quebec: A Focus on Previous Police Contacts

• In Event: Violent Offender Research: Lethal and Non-Lethal Intimate Partner Violence

Abstract

Intimate partner homicides are a significant concern in the population. Observing the trends of the last decade, the curves show a clearly declining trend for the period 2008-2018. Data from Statistics Canada (Conroy et al., 2019) also indicate that in 60% of intimate partner homicide cases, there were known histories of family violence known to the police. Other studies support the idea that an intimate partner homicide is generally preceded by one or more events of domestic violence (Campbell, 2007; Drouin and Drolet, 2004) and that it is often the culmination of an ascending trajectory in terms of severity and intensity (INSPQ, 2021; Campbell, 2007). However, the issue of intimate partner homicides involving female suspects is still not well known. This study presents the results of a descriptive analysis of 238 homicides committed by women between 1982 and 2022 in Quebec, Canada using police data. An overview of the cases, focusing on the circumstances surrounding the events and specifically examining the role of weapons, will be provided. Additionally, the study will include an analysis of the police contacts involving female perpetrators of intimate partner homicides, detailing their interactions with law enforcement.

Authors

• Francis Fortin, Université de Montréal

• Valérie Chaussé, University of Montreal

• Olivier Péloquin, University of Montreal