Women who are killed are most likely to have been killed by a man, men who are killed are most likely to have been killed by a man. We know that women who are killed are most likely to have been killed by someone they know, government statistics suggest 78%, of these most are killed by a partner or former partner, government statistics suggest 47%. Most women killed are killed by men. The government declines to share the statistic for this, instead blurring the sex of killers by using neutral relationship terms like parent, associate, child, indeed partner or ex-partner to identify killers by their relationship to the victim. Men, on the other hand, whilst still more likely to have been killed by someone they know, 57%, are much less likely to be killed by a partner or former partner, approximately 5% of men killed. Gay men are more likely to be killed by their male partner than lesbians killed by their female partner.
Most men killed are killed by men. Again, the government declines to share this statistic. We know that more men are killed each year than women, so we can’t simply compare the 47% of women killed being killed by a partner/ex-partner to the 5% of men killed for a simple numerical comparator, but in the 11 years between 2001/2 and 2011/12, 296 men, an average of 27 per year were killed by a partner or ex-partner and 1066 women were killed by a partner or ex-partner, an average of 97 per year. In the same period, in total, 6.1% of people convicted of murder were women, meaning that 93.9% were men, those are the government’s figures, not mine. 31.8 of homicide victims were women, 68.2% were men.
We all know that Charles Saatchi grabbed Nigella Lawson by the throat last June but what about Janelle Duncan Bailey, 25; Myrna Kirby, 57; Glynis Solmaz, 65; Chantelle Barnsdate-Quean, 35; Mary Roberts, 50; Christine Baker, 52; Margaret Macati, 63; Georgia Williams, 17; Yvonne Walsh, 25; Marianne Stones, 58; Sabeen Thandi, 37; Shavani Kapoor, 34; Assia Newton, 44; Jade Watson, 22; and Poonam, 35, all of whom were strangled to death last year in the UK by men. How many of us know the names of these women? How many of us know the names of their killers?
On Saturday 5 April this year, it is alleged that Mayka Kukucova shot a British man Andrew Bush, in Spain. A google search of her name brings 5,100 results and 104 links to articles for the reader to ‘explore in depth’. On the same day, Aston Robinson murdered Kayleigh Palmer, it is alleged; a search of his name brings 3,420 results and 39 articles to ‘explore in depth’. Also on 5 April, it is alleged that Steven McCall murdered Senga Closs. Search his name and there are 3,700 results but the first three links are to completely different issues, different McCalls, before the murder of Senga Closs appears with 5 links to pieces for the reader to ‘explore in depth’. Since then Dudley Boakes and Mateusz Kosecki have been charged with the murders of Sandra Boakes and Yvette Hallsworth on 6th April; and Dempsey Nibbs with the murder of Judith Nibbs on 11th April; none generating the interest afforded to Mayka Kukucova. In addition, Liam Naylor has been charged with the murder of Doreen Walker on 2 April and Paul McManus has been charged with the fatal stabbing of Isabelle Sanders on 9 April. Compare also the number of photos of Mayka Kukucova to those of the men accused of murder (only Aston Robinson currently appears in a photograph) and it is very clear that the killing of a British man by a woman, even overseas, is deemed much more newsworthy than that of any of the 7 British women suspected to have been killed by men in the UK so far this month.
The media coverage of the current trial for murder of Oscar Pistorius who has admitted killing Reeva Steenkamp last February, has sympathetically covered his sobbing, his vomiting and his love for Reeva; despite his more recent floundering under cross-examination by state prosecutor Gerrie Nel, today he found time to sign an autograph on his way out of court reading “Thank you for your love and kindness, Oscar”. It’s about him, about what happened to him not what he did. Last month, a report released by Her Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary (HMIC) ‘Everyone’s business: Improving the police response to domestic abuse’ referred to 77 women killed by their partners or ex-partners between April 2012 and March 2013. The focus on domestic violence meant that the killings by men of 38 women were rendered irrelevant. The extent of fatal male violence against women simply erased.
We’re only two weeks in to April 2014 and already seven women in the UK have been killed, with a man charged with their murders. Just like any other month, these killings can rarely, even if somewhat anachronistically, be referred to as front-page news. Without the added ingredient of celebrity, male violence against women: rape, assault and murder are simply too commonplace.
Almost 94% of murderers in the UK are men. Even the most ardent disciples of ‘yeah but women kill men too’ cannot deny that this is a significant statistical difference. Government data and mainstream media conspire to feed the denial of both the extent to which men comprise the majority of murderers and the number of women killed by men compared to the number of men killed by women. It could almost make you feel sympathetic to those suggesting, demanding or instructing me to count dead men. Almost.
Karen Ingala Smith 
The powers that be have their eyes wide shut when it comes to violence against women. The few women that kill
Men are frequently at the end of their tether, accepting beating, rapes and mental torment. Women also kill to protect their young. Men kill to get what they want.
Pingback: | I am going to be ungrateful | Acid Test by Quixote
We should not forget that most people, female and male, are non-criminals. Even if >90% of murderers are men, only a small part of men are murderers.
In my oppinion it would make more sense to call out for people to fight violence, not for women to fight male violence. Your target group would be twice as big and you could have much more impact.
You said: “>90% of murderers are men”. We have a specific problem here, don’t we. It’s not just about murder, it’s about men overwhelmingly choosing to murder. The prolific number of women who have been murdered by men demonstrate the fact (not opinion), that murder of women at the hands of man is a worldwide epidemic. Considering that, regardless if men who murder women are a smaller number than the general population of men who don’t murder, it’s obvious by all the deaths of women at the hands of men that there is an undeniable, unacceptable, inexcusable travesty that MUST be addressed and solved. To ignore it, is to ignore a massive and obviously identifiable violation of human rights; and women’s rights are human rights.
And of course, when we are focusing on ‘men who murder women’ we are also not talking about behaviour that is antecedent to the act of murder, that is verbal and physical abuse, controlling and exploitative behaviour directed towards both women and children.
The problem of male violence goes well beyond just murder.
Hello Tony, yes, of course. I do talk about that often. This is a bit old, I wrote it in 2013, but it is about that very issue.
https://kareningalasmith.com/2013/09/26/remembering-the-women-who-are-killed-though-male-violence-does-not-mean-forgetting-those-who-live/
Threat to life policy. Sammie Laney was murdered by her ex bf . she told police he threatened to kill her. Sent her home at 4pm.Laying in waiting Thomas Dalton stabbed her once .
I find it sad that gender is at the forefront of this discussion. If you are murdered by a man or a woman you are still dead. Yes men do most of the murdering and yes men are mostly murdered. The campaign should be about stopping human beings being murdered. All this gender flag waving in the face of such tragedy simply diminishes us all.
How do you think we will stop men killing women, or even men killing men, if we cannot name men ‘s fatal violence?
I guess it shows how little you understand the world around you andrew. Why its the men doing the killing and raping of women and children rather than the other way roind. Why killing jews broke out in one country rather than them all and why ever since biblical days men have promoted themselves as a superior race rather than said we are all equal which has resulted in them feeling above the law as women and children are beneath it. There is a reason that hierarchacal violence happens and its because of racist/sexist or other hate attitudes towards given groups of people.
That is like the “all lives matter” response to “black lives matter”. Of course all lives matter, and of course all gender violence matters. However, “black lives matter” exists because we all know there has been a profound history of grave mistreatment, oppression, and violence against black people specifically. People say “black lives matter”, because it is clear that a number of people believe they don’t, as evidenced by continued discrimination against and unwarranted murders of blacks. “Black lives matter” needs to be said more prominently at this point in time, because we need all people to understand and accept that black lives matter, especially people who attempt to cover their ears about it. Though all gender violence matters, there is a far surpassing international epidemic of murders at the hands of men. Statistics don’t lie. This is not opinion to engage in “gender flag waving” as you call it. Femicide is an international epidemic as illustrated by plain impartial FACTS. You said: “I find it sad that gender is at the forefront of this discussion”. You know what is more sad than your passing “sad” thought at gender being in the forefront of a discussion about violence? The gut-level real anguish loved ones of these murdered women feel. The fact that those victims had the only life they get on Earth, forcefully taken away from them. The fact that women are predominately murdered by men. That some men make comments like the one you made, that ultimately trivialize and dismiss a plainly seen world-wide human-rights travesty. That men who dismiss real facts and denigrate those facts to the level of “gender flag waving” (as you called it), hold positions of power over women and progress is stalled because of an unwillingness to examine a real issue. It’s also sad that a lot of these men around the world actively oppress women, and so the cycle continues. Some men may try to mansplain to women; but men cannot mansplain away facts. As women, we will continue to call out international oppression, violence, and injustice against our gender, until the tide changes and women are no longer predominantly murdered by men. It is our human right to speak up against crimes against our gender. Being a male and attributing to hype the honest, understandable, and acceptable response to male-base crimes against women, is an unfortunate artifact of male-privilege. My hope for any men reading this is a willingness to be honest about facts, and openness to being part of work toward positive solutions. That means acceptance, humility and compassion toward listening to and understanding women’s experiences of oppression and violence before murder even takes place. (A culture of oppression, exploitation, mistreatment, and violence tend to precede murder). Also, it’s about letting it be known in your personal life that you believe women should be respected, by showing other men you disapprove when they attempt to disrespect, dehumanize, mistreat, put down, oppress, or exploit women. If men who would not murder start to work more overtly to create a culture of respect toward women among their male peers, aversion to mistreatment and violence toward women may become more imprinted on male-culture across the board. We need men to help create a culture of respect for women among other men, because men who disrespect women do not value women or what we have to say, to even begin to listen to us. I think if more men are influenced to honestly view, respect, and treat women as valuable human beings, we may start to see male-based murders against women go down.
I read the Daily News (a NYC newspaper) every single day. Its like a pure horror show. I am aghast at the sheer number of women who have been murdered by men. It simply astounds, repulses, and disturbs me deeply. These women were killed by their boyfriends, ex-boyfriends, husbands, and ex-husbands, strangers, their own fathers, you name it. Men also murder female babies and children. Its an epidemic. Femicide. Once in a great while, I read about a woman killing a man, but not often, believe me. Every single day, women and children’s precious lives are ended by a man. No one seems to want to acknowledge this, either. It seems that its accepted, in my opinion. Men also kill other men, and sometimes their sons, yes, but definitely not in the numbers that they rape and kill females. People seem numb about all of these murders done by men. It seems that most non-feminist and non-radical feminist women are living in a cloud of denial about the evil that men do. Hopefully, they will wake up before the reality of femicide hits too close to home…
I don’t think people regard women as as a valuable part of humanity.
Whenever a woman or group of women do something positive for women, we get the usual ‘what about the men’ bullshit. These men are SO threatened and insecure by the idea that women’s groups might be trying to change things.
I don’t even bother with ‘the facts’ nowadays when I hear this pridictable guff, I just tell them I can’t do everything and if they are genuinely concerned then they should go start a movement.
Hear-hear. Whinging, whiney men are one of the clearest indicators of the problem. The fact that (almost invariably) men don’t “get it” is part of the core of male power and control.
I think these men are trying to derail attention in order to protect and project a belief of male supremacy. The problem is the facts don’t support their hypothesis, so the whistleblowers have to be shut up by force. If Karen was in a room with them no doubt it would be another ‘isolated’ incident of DV.
I get so sick of the ‘what about the menz’ bleating that goes on whenever violence against women by men is reported on. There are shifts in violence expressed by women, towards men, and towards other women. Overwhelmingly, however, it is men committing most acts of violence and esp extreme violence. How is it demonising men to point out this basic and consistent fact? To say ‘most murderers are men’ is NOT the same as saying ‘most men are murderers’!
Indeed why aren’t these MRAS setting up their own ‘counting male on male murders? Is it because MRAS don’t care that males are committing violence against other males? I strongly suspect this is the case because these MRAS are only concerned with harassing real Feminists and claiming women are as violent as men. In your dreams boys because the factual evidence proves it is overwhelmingly males who are the ones committing violence including lethal violence against women and girls.
EXCACTLY.
Impeccably handled- well done for this response.
Why are these guys so lazy as to not set up their own “Counting Dead Men” blog. God knows it would take a whole lot less time to manage than Counting Dead Women. Sickening.