TY  - JOUR
PY  - 2018//
TI  - Incidence of female homicide in the Transkei sub-region of South Africa (1993-2015)
JO  - Journal of forensic and legal medicine
A1  - Meel, Banwari
SP  - 75
EP  - 79
VL  - 56
IS  - 
N2  - BACKGROUND: Female homicide is very complex and difficult to research. Xhosa women are poor, illiterate and live in a rural area where they are exposed to a number of risks to their lives. The previous apartheid regimen broke the fabric of the family value system in this region and this came on top of a traditional patriarchal view of women as little more than property. Women are most vulnerable in this traumatised society. <br><br>OBJECTIVE: To study the incidence of female homicide in the Transkei sub-region of South Africa. <br><br>METHOD: A record review was undertaken of all medico-legal autopsies performed from 1993 to 2015 at Mthatha Forensic Pathology Laboratory. <br><br>RESULTS: In total, 26 972 autopsies were performed on victims of unnatural death between 1993 and 2015. Of these, 6091 (22.58%) were cases of unnatural death among females. Homicide accounted for 1865 (30.61%) of these deaths. The average rate of female homicide during the study period was 12.5 per 100 000. The rate of homicide decreased from 14.25/100 000 (1993) to 9.19/100 000 (2015). The average rate of death was 4.93/100 000 as a result of the use of firearms, 3.75/100 000 for stab injuries and 3.70/100 000 for blunt trauma. The rate of murder was highest (6.55/100 000) in the young age group between 11 and 40 years. <br><br>CONCLUSION: Despite a one and half time decrease in the rate of female homicide in the last 23 years (1993-2015) in the Transkei sub-region of South Africa, it is still three times higher than the worldwide rate.<br><br>Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd and Faculty of Forensic and Legal Medicine. All rights reserved.<p />  <p>Language: en</p>
LA  - en
SN  - 1752-928X
UR  - http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jflm.2018.02.025
ID  - ref1
ER  -