Murder of pregnant women is a type of homicide, often resulting from domestic violence. Domestic violence—or intimate partner violence (IPV)—is suffered by many, and when analyzing cases in which victims came forward, men are more likely than women to commit acts of severe domestic battery,[1][2][3] and women are more likely to suffer serious injury as a result.[4] Many of these women fear harm not just to themselves but also to their unborn children. Recently, more focus has been placed on pregnancy-associated deaths due to violence.[5] IPV may begin when the victim becomes pregnant.[6] Research has shown that abuse while pregnant is a red flag for pregnancy-associated homicide.[7]
The murder of pregnant women represents a relatively recently studied class of murder. Limited statistics are available as there is no reliable system in place yet to track such cases.[8] Whether pregnancy is a causal factor is hard to determine.
^Morse, Barbara J. (January 1995). "Beyond the Conflict Tactics Scale: Assessing Gender Differences in Partner Violence". Violence and Victims. 10 (4): 251–272. doi:10.1891/0886-6708.10.4.251. PMID8703839. S2CID37664529.
^Ansara, D. L.; Hindin, M. J. (1 October 2010). "Exploring gender differences in the patterns of intimate partner violence in Canada: a latent class approach". Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health. 64 (10): 849–854. doi:10.1136/jech.2009.095208. PMID19833606. S2CID206990397.
^Martin, S. L., Macy, R. J., Sullivan, K., and Magee, M. L. (2007) Pregnancy-Associated Violent Deaths: The Role of Intimate Partner Violence. Trauma, Violence, & Abuse. (8), 135-148.
^Parker, B., McFarlane, J., and Soeken, K. (1994) Abuse During Pregnancy: Effects on Maternal Complications and Birth Weight in Adult and Teenage Women. Obstet Gynecol. 323-328.
^Campbell, J. C., Glass, N., Sharps, P. W., Laughon, K., and Bloom, T. (2007) Intimate Partner Homicide: Review and Implications of Research and Policy. Trauma, Violence, & Abuse. (8), 246-269.