Article
Male Sexual Jealousy Homicides in Fiji: Victims, Offenders, and Incident Characteristics
International Annals of Criminology
(2021)
Abstract
Numerous studies find that sexual jealousy is a motivating factor in many intimate partner femicides. Given the paucity of scholarship on the topic in non-Western societies, the current article sought to extend empirical knowledge on the subject by focusing on sexual jealousy homicides in Fiji. Thirty male sexual jealousy homicides and attempted homicides that occurred in the society during 2010-2020 were identified through a meticulous search of official court documents and local media sources. In-depth criminological analysis was subsequently conducted of each case, focusing on victim and perpetrator attributes and offense features. The article finds that each homicide became a high-profile case, judging by the amount of media coverage afforded the incident and the degree of public interest demonstrated in the case. In 24 out of the 25 homicide cases, an aggrieved husband slew a supposed adulterous wife; in the remaining case, the assailant killed his wife’s new consort. The mean age differential between perpetrators and victims was 7.9 years; and the mean length of the marital relationship was more than five years. Stabbing with kitchen knives, slashing with machetes, and manual asphyxiation were the dominant modes of offense perpetration. Nearly all cases evinced the following triple features of male sexual jealousy homicides: jealous rage, premeditation, and inordinate violence. Summaries of all 30 cases are proffered in the article in order to reveal their essential features.
Keywords
- sexual jealousy,
- sexual proprietariness,
- femicide,
- uxoricide,
- homicide,
- Fiji
Disciplines
Publication Date
Fall September 15, 2021
Citation Information
Mensah Adinkrah. "Male Sexual Jealousy Homicides in Fiji: Victims, Offenders, and Incident Characteristics" International Annals of Criminology Vol. 59 Iss. 2 (2021) ISSN: 0003-4452 Available at: http://works.bepress.com/mensah_adinkrah/48/