A Qualitative Study of Intimate Partner Femicide and Orphans in Cyprus

Andreas Kapardis; Anna Costanza Baldry; Maria Konstantinou

doi:10.18778/1733-8077.13.3.06

Authors

Andreas Kapardis University of Cyprus, Republic of Cyprus; University of Cambridge, UK
Anna Costanza Baldry Università degli Studi della Campania Luigi Vanvitelli, Italy
Maria Konstantinou Open University of Cyprus, Republic of Cyprus

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.18778/1733-8077.13.3.06

Keywords:

Domestic Violence, Intimate Partner Femicide, Homicide, Orphans, Cyprus, Victims, Gender

Abstract

The paper first contextualizes femicide in the broader context of domestic violence, and homicide in the Republic of Cyprus. It then goes on to report a qualitative study of eighteen intimate partner femicide (IPF) orphans during the period 2001-2014. Findings concerning IPF, offender, and victim characteristics but also pertaining to a broad range of themes that emerged in the face-to-face interviews with the orphans are also reported and discussed. In support of theoretical notions of power and control and gender inequality, the study reported also documents of a prior history of serious conflict, physical, verbal, and psychological abuse of the IPF victim by a jealous, possessive, controlling, and oppressive violent male partner or ex-partner. Evidence is provided of the tragic inability of the authorities to heed numerous warning signs and threats-to-kill by the offender and so avert such murders. Finally, attention turns to the policy and research implications of the findings with emphasis on lethal domestic violence prevention and better support of the orphans involved.

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Author Biographies

Andreas Kapardis, University of Cyprus, Republic of Cyprus; University of Cambridge, UK

Andreas Kapardis is a Professor in and Chair of the Department of Law at the University of Cyprus, a Visiting Professor at the Institute of Criminology, Cambridge University, a Life-Member of Clare Hall, Cambridge University, and an elected Full Member of the European Academy of Sciences and Arts. He holds a PhD in Criminology from Cambridge University and is a graduate of the Senior Investigator’s Course, Detective Training School, Victoria Police, Australia. For a number of years he was a university academic in Australia. His main research and teaching interests lie in criminology, criminal justice, penology, and legal psychology. He has researched and published extensively internationally and his most recent books are: Kapardis, A. & Farrington, D. P. (eds.) (2016) Psychology, Crime, Policing, and Courts, Routledge; Kapardis, A. (2014) Psychology and Law (4th ed.), Cambridge University Press; Baldry. A. C. & Kapardis, A. (eds.) (2013) Risk Assessment for Juvenile Violent Offenders, Routledge.

Anna Costanza Baldry, Università degli Studi della Campania Luigi Vanvitelli, Italy

Anna Costanza Baldry is a psychologist and a criminologist. She is a Full Professor in social psychology, Università degli Studi della Campania Luigi Vanvitelli, Department of Psychology. Her research fields of interest range from attribution theories, gender role stereotypes, violence against women, bullying and cyberbullying and juvenile delinquency, honor-based attitudes and their influence on social norms and behaviors, inter- and intra-transmission of violence in family context, risk factors of antisocial behaviors and risk assessment, and social identification with rule of law principles, judicial socio-psychological impact on victims of violence. She has published 100 articles in prestigious national and international scientific journals, book chapters, and monographs. She has presented as an invited speaker and as a scientific contributor to numerous national and international conferences. She has coordinated national and international EU and Governmental projects among which “Switch-off” on orphans from Femicide. In November 2015, she obtained by the Head of State an official invitation to the Order of Merit of the Italian Republic (OMRI) for her constant work for the prevention and research on violence against women.

Maria Konstantinou, Open University of Cyprus, Republic of Cyprus

Maria Konstantinou holds a BA in Sociology with a minor in Psychology (University of Cyprus), and a Master’s degree in Criminology, Criminal Justice, and Social Research (University of Surrey, UK). She has been a graduate researcher at the University of Cyprus and has been teaching Criminology and Criminal Justice as an Adjunct Lecturer in the Police Studies Program of the Open University of Cyprus. Her research interests include femicide, juvenile delinquency, prisons and prisoners, offender rehabilitation, community policing, criminal justice in Cyprus, sociological criminology, and qualitative and quantitative research. She is the secretary of the Cyprus Society of Criminology.

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