| Title |
Intymaus partnerio nužudymą įvykdžiusių moterų charakteristika, smurto patirtis ir baudimo praktika |
| Translation of Title |
Characteristics of women who perpetrated intimate partner homicide, their experience of violence, and punitive practices. |
| Authors |
Tamulytė, Akvilė |
| DOI |
10.15388/CrimLithuan.2026.13.1 |
| Full Text |
|
| Is Part of |
Kriminologijos studijos.. Vilnius : Vilniaus universiteto leidykla. 2026, vol. 13, p. 8-41.. ISSN 2538-8754. eISSN 2351-6097 |
| Keywords [eng] |
women’s criminal behaviour ; female offender ; intimate partner homicide ; violent victimization ; punitive practices |
| Abstract [eng] |
This article examines intimate partner homicides perpetrated by women, deconstructing the traditional conception of the “female offender” as one who has re- nounced her feminine nature, and instead focusing on the duality of the offending and victimized woman. A mixed-method empirical study was conducted with the aim of revealing the characteristics of women who have perpetrated intimate partner homi- cide, their experiences of violence, and punitive practices in Lithuania. A quantita- tive content analysis of first-instance criminal court convictions, combined with semi- structured interviews with women serving fixed-term custodial sentences at Panevėžys Prison and prison staff, revealed that women who perpetrated homicide commonly exhibit social vulnerability associated with unemployment, limited education, alcohol use, and intimate partner violence, which emerges as a significant source of strain. Al- though approximately two-thirds of the defendants stated during the trial that they had previously experienced intimate partner violence, the majority had rarely sought for- mal institutional support due to distrust in its effectiveness or social stigma. The find- ings further indicate that these homicides were typically perpetrated without qualifying circumstances, were unplanned, and situational in nature. Accordingly, the sentences imposed by courts were generally below the statutory average and were significantly influenced by the recognition of provocative or risky behaviour by the victim, as well as other mitigating circumstances. Finally, the article briefly discusses women’s subjective perceptions of the justness of their sentences, revealing disappointment with the insuf- ficient consideration of their experiences of violent victimization in the determination of criminal liability. |
| Published |
Vilnius : Vilniaus universiteto leidykla |
| Type |
Journal article |
| Language |
Lithuanian |
| Publication date |
2026 |
| CC license |
|
