Intimate Partner Femicide in South Africa in 1999 and 2009

English version České info

Background:
Death is the most extreme consequence of intimate partner violence. Female homicide studies with data on the perpetrator–victim relationship can provide insights. We compare the results of two South African national studies of female homicide with similar sampling done 10 y apart.

Methods and Findings:
We conducted a retrospective national survey using a weighted cluster design of a proportionate random sample of 38 mortuaries to identify homicides committed in 2009. We abstracted victim data from mortuary and autopsy reports, and perpetrator data from police interviews. We compared homicides of women 14 y and older in 2009 with previously published data collected with the same methodology for homicides committed in 1999.

The study found that the rate of female homicide per 100,000 female population in 2009 was 12.9 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 9.3, 16.5), compared to 24.7 (95% CI: 17.7, 31.6) in 1999. The incidence rate ratio of 0.54 (95% CI: 0.20, 0.84) reflects a significantly lower rate in 2009. The rate of intimate partner femicide was 5.6/100,000 in 2009 versus 8.8/100,000 in 1999, with an incidence rate ratio of 0.63 (95% CI: 0.24, 1.02), indicating no difference between rates. Logistic regression analysis of homicide characteristics showed that the odds ratio of suspected rape among non-intimate femicides in 2009 compared to 1999 was 2.61 (95% CI: 1.23, 4.08) and among intimate partner femicides it was 0.84 (95% CI: 0.50, 1.42). The OR of homicide by gunshot was 0.54 (95% CI: 0.30, 0.99) in 2009 versus 1999. There was a significant drop in convictions of perpetrators of non-intimate femicide in 2009 versus 1999 (OR = 0.32 [95% CI: 0.19, 0.53]). Limitations of the study include the relatively small sample size and having only two time points.

Conclusions:
Female homicide in South Africa was lower in 2009 than 1999, but intimate partner femicide and suspected rape homicide rates were not statistically different. The cause of the difference is unknown. The findings suggest that South Africa needs greater efforts nationally to implement evidence-based violence prevention.

Please see later in the article for the Editors' Summary

Vyšlo v časopise: Intimate Partner Femicide in South Africa in 1999 and 2009. PLoS Med 10(4): e32767. doi:10.1371/journal.pmed.1001412
Kategorie: Research Article
prolekare.web.journal.doi_sk: https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1001412

Souhrn

Zdroje

1. Krug EG, Dahlberg L, Mercy J, Zwi A, Lozano R (2002) World report on violence and health. Geneva: World Health Organization.

2. Cooper A, Smith EL (2011) Homicide trends in the United States, 1980–2008. Washington (District of Columbia): Bureau of Justice Statistics.

3. World Health Organization, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (2010) Preventing intimate partner and sexual violence against women: taking action and generating evidence. Geneva: World Health Organization. Available: http://www.who.int/violence_injury_prevention/publications/violence/9789241564007_eng.pdf Accessed 18 February 2012.

4. JewkesR (2002) Intimate partner violence: causes and prevention. Lancet 359: 1423–1429.

5. AbrahamsN, JewkesR, LaubscherR, HoffmanM (2006) Intimate partner violence: prevalence and risk factors for men in Cape Town, South Africa. Violence Vict 21: 247–263.

6. JewkesR, DunkleK, KossMP, LevinJB, NdunaM, et al. (2006) Rape perpetration by young, rural South African men: prevalence, patterns and risk factors. Soc Sci Med 63: 2949–2961.

7. TownsendL, JewkesR, MathewsC, JohnstonLG, FlisherAJ, et al. (2010) HIV risk behaviours and their relationship to intimate partner violence (IPV) among men who have multiple female sexual partners in Cape Town, South Africa. AIDS Behav 15: 132–141.

8. (1998) Domestic Violence Act of 1998, Act No. 116. Republic of South Africa. Available: http://www.info.gov.za/view/DownloadFileAction?id=70651 Accessed 22 June 2012.

9. (2007) Criminal Law (Sexual Offences and Related Matters) Amendment Act of 2007, Act No. 32. Republic of South Africa. Available: http://www.info.gov.za/view/DownloadFileAction?id=77866 Accessed 27 February 2013.

10. (2000) Firearms Control Act of 2000, Act No. 60. Republic of South Africa. Available: http://www.info.gov.za/view/DownloadFileAction?id=68229 Accessed 22 February 2013.

11. Abrahams N, Mathews S, Jewkes R, Martin LJ, Lombard L (2012) Every eight hours: intimate femcide in South Africa 10 years later! South African Medical Research Council Research Brief. Available: http://www.mrc.ac.za/policybriefs/everyeighthours.pdf Accessed 22 February 2013.

12. AbrahamsN, JewkesR, MartinLJ, MathewsS, VettenL, et al. (2009) Mortality of women from intimate partner violence in South Africa: a national epidemiological study. Violence Vict 24: 546–556.

13. Statistics South Africa (1996) The people of South Africa: population census, 1996. Census in brief. Pretoria: Statistics South Africa.

14. Statistics South Africa (2003) Census in brief, 2003. Pretoria: Statistics South Africa.

15. Burger J (2009) Worrying trends: the official 2008/09 South African crime statistics. Pretoria: Institute of Security Studies. Available: http://www.iss.co.za/uploads/CQ30BURGER.PDF Accessed 22 February 2013.

16. World Health Organization Health Statistics and Informatics Department (2011 May) Causes of death 2008 summary tables. Available: http://www.who.int/gho/mortality_burden_disease/global_burden_disease_DTH6_2008.xls Accessed 23 October 2012.

17. LoganJE, SmithSG, StevensMR (2011) Homicides—United States, 1999–2007. MMWR Surveill Summ 60(Suppl): 67–70 Available: http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/su6001a14.htm Accessed 27 February 2013.

18. Amnesty International (2005) The impact of guns on women's lives London: Amnesty International. http://www.amnesty.org/en/library/asset/ACT30/001/2005/en/93676864-d53a-11dd-8a23-d58a49c0d652/act300012005en.pdf. Accessed 27 February 2013.

19. Newham G, Lancaster L (2012) The 2012 South African budget reveals big shifts in police personnel trends. Pretoria: Institute for Security Studies. Available: http://www.issafrica.org/iss_today.php?ID=1439 Accessed 27 February 2013.

20. AbrahamsN, JewkesR, MartinLJ, MathewsS (2011) Forensic medicine in South Africa: associations between medical practice and legal case progression and outcomes in female murders. PLoS ONE 6: e2862017 doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0028620

21. CampbellJC, WebsterD, Koziol-McLainJ, BlockC, CampbellD, et al. (2003) Risk factors for femicide in abusive relationships: results from a multisite case control study. Am J Public Health 93: 1089–1097.

22. Mathews S (2010) Understanding intimate femicide [dissertation]. Cape Town: University of the Witwatersrand.

23. AbrahamsN, JewkesR (2005) Effects of South African men's having witnessed abuse of their mothers during childhood on their levels of violence in adulthood. Am J Public Health 95: 1811–1816.

24. KimJC, WattsCH, HargreavesJR, NdhlovuLX, PhetlaG, et al. (2007) Understanding the impact of a microfinance-based intervention on women's empowerment and the reduction of intimate partner violence in South Africa. Am J Public Health 97: 1794–1802.

25. JewkesR, NdunaM, LevinJ, JamaN, DunkleK, et al. (2008) Impact of Stepping Stones on incidence of HIV and HSV-2 and sexual behaviour in rural South Africa: cluster randomised control trial. BMJ 337: 1–11.