Femicide

Femicide is the most extreme form of violence against women, that is their murder. Despite the phenomenon has been focused for decades by researchers and supranational organizations, a shared definition is still lacking, and this leads to underestimation of the problem and not comparable statistical data. Several forensic pathologists are studying autopsy cases in order to find features that could help to better understand this kind of murder. This Chapter examines the work of forensic pathologists in the field of murder of women and tries to delineate a framing of the phenomenon. The result is the need for a scientific method that is standardized and known to the international community to all cases of female murder to identify instances of femicide, inform the legislator, recognize risk factors and ultimately contribute to prevention.