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Bulletin of the World Health Organization

Intimate femicide–suicide in South Africa: a cross-sectional study

Shanaaz Mathews, Naeemah Abrahams, Rachel Jewkes, Lorna J Martin, Carl Lombard, Lisa Vetten

Volume 86, Number 7, July 2008, 552-558

Table 2. Characteristics of perpetrators

Characteristics Intimatefemicide–suicide (%)n = 261a Intimate femicide–non suicide (%)n = 1088a Odds ratio(95% CI) P-value
Perpetrator age
14–29 46.4 (26.8–67.2) 31.1 (22.8–40.7) 1.00
30–39 42.2 (23.8–63.1) 40.1 (32.6–48.1) 0.71 (0.24–2.09) 0.51
40+ 11.4 (5.6–21.8) 28.8 (21.4–37.6) 0.26 (0.08–0.84) 0.03
Median 30 years 34 years
Perpetrator race
African 80.4 (67.1–89.2) 75.4 (59.1–86.7) 1.00
Mixed 4.3 (1.3–13.3) 20.9 (10.2–38.1) 0.19 (0.07–0.54) 0.003
White 9.5 (4.0–21.1) 2.6 (1.0–6.7) 3.39 (0.76–15.1) 0.104
Indian 5.7 (2.4–13.3) 1.0 (0.3–4.1) 5.21 (1.33–20.31) 0.02
Perpetrator employment
Unemployed 20.6 (11.1–35.1) 42.0 (31.9–52.8) 1.00
Employed 65.3 (49.9–78.1) 50.5 (38.8–62.1) 2.64 (0.1–7.01) 0.05
Unknown 14.1 (6.9–26.5) 7.5 (4.1–13.4) 3.84 (1.54–9.59) 0.006
Employment category
Blue-collar 18.1 (6.5–41.3) 60.1 (46.7–72.1) 1.00
Gardener/farm worker 0.0 21.1 (11.3–36.0)
Professional/white-collar 14.1 (4.3–37.3) 3.6 (1.8–7.3) 12.9 (4.84–34.51) 0.000
Security industry 58.0 (28.0–82.9) 8.0 (3.3–18.3) 24.1 (4.55–127.44) 0.001
Self-employed 9.9 (4.7–19.6) 5.6 (2.3–13.1) 5.9 (1.25–28.06) 0.03
Student 0.0 1.6 (0.3–7.5)
Gun ownership
Do not own a legal gun 24.6 (14.1–39.4) 68.1 (55.1–78.8) 1.00
Unknown 9.1 (3.36–22.2) 22.3 (12.2–37.4) 1.12 (0.32–3.95) 0.85
Own a legal gun 66.3 (51.4–78.6) 9.6 (5.3–16.7) 18.65 (6.79–51.2) 0.000
Do not own an illegal gun 80.4 (67.1–89.2) 70.6 (54.4–82.8) 1.00
Unknown 9.1 (3.4–22.2) 23.2 (12.9–38.1) 0.34 (0.97–1.21) 0.09
Possess/own illegal gun 10.5 (5.2–20.1) 6.3 (3.6–10.7) 1.47 (0.44–4.93) 0.51
Preceding events
Argument 53.5 (26.8–78.3) 54.6 (42.2–66.6) 1.00
Alleged infidelity of victim 16.3 (4.1–46.9) 19.7 (13.7–27.5) 0.84 (0.15–4.75) 0.84
Female ended relationship 29.0 (12.2–54.6) 8.4 (4.2–16.3) 3.52 (1.12–11.17) 0.03
Other 1.3 (0.2–9.9) 17.3 (9.6–29.1) 0.08 (0.01– 0.81) 0.04

a Weighted estimates.