Femicides in Turkey: Analysis of the last two decades’ cases

Abstract

Abstract Aim Femicide is the women's murder by men for misogynistic reasons. This research aims to determine the characteristics of femicides in Turkey. Methods In this cross-sectional study, 13 news sites were scanned using keywords related to femicides between 2000-2019, and 1744 cases were included. In the study, the murdered women, the perpetrators’, and the femicides’ characteristics were determined and the percentages, central tendency, and distribution measures were calculated. Results The mean age of the murdered women was 33.2 (SD = ±13.2); 55.5% who were married or cohabitated had at least one child (Mean=2.2±1.4), and 977 children lost their mothers due to femicide. Of the women killed, 19.1% of them filed for divorce, 10.0% of them applied to law enforcement before, and 4.5% were pregnant. Of the perpetrators, 53.1% were husbands/ex-husbands. The mean age of perpetrators was 38.3±13.4 and 10.8% had criminal records. Of the perpetrators, 12.1% had threatened the women before, and 6.2% of them had been detained. Of the femicides, 80.4% were committed in urban areas. According to the news, 34.7% of the perpetrators were in the prosecution and detention process, 25.6% were on trial, 16.2% committed suicide. Of those whose sentences have been finalized, 26.6% of them were given aggravated life imprisonment and 36.3% of them to life imprisonment. Sudden quarrels, desire for divorce, jealousy, and honor/custom were the most cited reasons. Firearms or sharps were the most frequently used weapons. Conclusions Women were killed by men who were close to them. Women's desires for separation/divorce or to make their own decisions for their lives posed a threat to traditional masculinity. The fact that one out of every ten perpetrators had a criminal record in femicides showed that violence was a way of life for some men. In addition, the ease of access to firearms led to their frequent use in femicides. Key messages • Improve gender equality. • Access to firearms should prevented.