Narratives of Albanian female offenders who killed their intimate partners during 2010-2014. Case report series

By, Prof. Asoc. Dr. MD. Voltisa LAMA, MSc. Ortenca VISHA

Abstract

Introduction: Most homicide perpetrators in Albania (according to data from Tirana Central Prison Directory, 2015) were males (n=1170) and only 20 were females. Intimate partner homicides comprise the largest category of female-perpetrated homicide, 8 out of 20 female offenders were convicted because of intimate partner homicide. Aims: The present study examined the life experiences of Albanian women, who are serving prison sentences for killing their male intimates between 2010 and 2014. “We are here due to a damned minute!” said one of the women blaming the triggering event. Several psychosocial factors which are hidden can interact in chain of events that may extend back from a triggering event to long-term processes that began in their childhood. These case studies shed light on those direct or indirect factors contributing to the murder.

Method: On July 2015 the convicted women responded to open-ended interview questions, providing narrative accounts of their personal experiences from childhood to the act of killing. Questions were related to childhood experiences, relations and possible support from their biological family, possible traumatic events, relations to former partners, family dynamics with the murdered partner and children, attitudes toward their duties in the family and children’s responsibilities, insight for the causes of murder, social systems they looked for help, their feelings, circumstances and motivational contexts of intimate homicide, as well as regret.
Results: Our in-depth interviews revealed that there was a similar profile of female homicide offenders who killed their intimate partners: they grew up in harsh psychosocial circumstances during their childhood, most of them having some type of trauma, economically disadvantaged families, victims of abuse, undereducated, with limited opportunities and unemployed in the long-term prior to being incarcerated. The findings suggest that those psychosocial factors have played a role in the commitment of the crime.

How to cite: Lama, V., & Visha, O. (2020). Narratives of Albanian female offenders who killed their intimate partners during 2010-2014. case report series. Medicus, 4(1), 15–28.

https://doi.org/10.58944/kdcc6046