Homicide & Murder in Spain: New Evidence and Perspectives

Session Submission Type: Pre-arranged Panel

Abstract

Homicides and murders in Spain present complex dynamics influenced by multiple criminological, sociological, and legal factors. This panel brings together four studies that analyze different aspects of these crimes, offering new empirical evidence based on jurisprudential data and case law analysis. The first paper examines the role of murder weapons in homicides and their relationship with offender-victim dynamics, gender, and power relations. The second paper focuses on the legal regime of revisable permanent imprisonment in Spain, analyzing judicial rulings to identify criminological and victimological patterns in cases where this sentence is imposed. The third paper explores the media coverage of femicides, assessing whether the publication of gender-based violence cases in the press influences the occurrence of subsequent crimes. The final paper (presented by the panel chair) provides a comprehensive study of criminal profiles, crime locations, and aggravating factors in homicides, highlighting patterns and legal implications. This panel offers a multidisciplinary perspective, combining criminological, legal, and empirical approaches to better understand and address homicide cases in Spain.

Subtopic

• Topic 2: Types of Offending / Homicide and Violent Crime (Homicide Research WG and European Violence Monitor WG)

Chair

• Mariana Noelia Solari Merlo, Universidad de Cádiz

Individual Presentations

• Convictions and people sentenced for hyper-aggravated murders to life imprisonment in Spain - Cristian Sánchez-Benítez, Universidad de Jaén

• The copycat effect in a sample of Spanish femicides - Diego Jesus Maldonado Guzman, University of Malaga

• Choice of Homicide Weapons: Exploring Criminal Patterns in Homicides and Murders in Spain - NOELIA VALENZUELA GARCIA, 1Department of International Public, Procedural and Criminal Law, University of Cádiz, Spain

• Criminal Profiles and Aggravating Circumstances in Homicides and Murders in Spain: A Jurisprudential Analysis - Mariana Noelia Solari Merlo, Universidad de Cádiz