One femicide every 35 hours in Argentina last year

A woman died from gender-related violence every 35 hours in Argentina last year, according to official data.

Figures from the national government’s official femicides registry revealed that 251 females were fatal victims of gender violence last year.

A breakdown of the killings by the Women’s Office of the Supreme Court further revealed that 231 were direct victims, with five of those classified as ‘trans femicides’ (the killing of a trans woman because of her gender, especially when motivated by transphobia).

Twenty victims were classified as “linked” to gender violence – cases where investigators could not determine if they were a result of a direct intent to cause harm to an individual based on their gender.

Of the victims, the report found that 88 percent knew their perpetrator, while 39 percent lived with them. A total of 62 percent of victims were partners or former partners of their killers.

Most died at the scene of the attack, while 13 dead bodies were moved to a second location by perpetrators post-mortem.

Looking at the geographical spread, most femicides took place in Buenos Aires Province, which recorded 73 cases. Tucumán Province saw the next highest tally with 18, followed by the regions of Córdoba and Santa Fe with 17 each. Buenos Aires City recorded 15, as did Chaco Province.

Most victims were aged between 25 and 44, 116 women in total, with an average age of 37.3 years old. Thirty-six of the 251 victims were aged between 18 and 24 years old, with 32 over 60 years old.

Looking at the perpetrators of the attacks, 93 percent were identified by the authorities, though as of December 31, 2021, only 66 percent were behind bars with cases pending or convictions.

– TIMES/PERFIL