Love kills

By L.C.P., J.S. and L.P.

The disturbing prevalence of violence against women

THE figures are chilling. More than one-third of all homicides of women are committed by a current or former partner. And nearly a third of women report having experienced violence at some point in their lives, either physical or sexual, at the hands of a partner. In linked studies published today*, a regional breakdown shows the wide disparity of violence against women across the world. The first, released in the Lancet, a medical journal, looks at homicide. The authors reviewed published studies and conducted surveys of official sources to gain data for 66 countries from 1983 to 2011. They estimate that 13.5% of all homicides are committed by an intimate partner, and women are six times more likely than men to be killed by their partner.