title: Family Violence in Domestic Homicides: A Case Study of Women Who Killed Intimate Partners Post-Legislative Reform in Victoria, Australia.
abstract: This article examines the impact of legislative reforms enacted in 2005 in Victoria, Australia, on legal responses to women charged with murder for killing their intimate partner. The reforms provided for a broader understanding of the context of family violence to be considered in such cases, but we found little evidence of this in practice. This is partly attributable to persistent misconceptions among the legal profession about family violence and why women may believe it necessary to kill a partner. We recommend specialized training for legal professionals and increased use of family violence evidence to help ensure women's claims of self-defense receive appropriate responses from Victorian courts.
authors.affiliation: 1 Deakin University, Burwood, Victoria, Australia.|3 Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: Danielle
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Tyson
authors.affiliation: 2 Domestic Violence Resource Centre Victoria, Collingwood, Victoria, Australia.|3 Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: Deborah
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kirkwood
authors.affiliation: 2 Domestic Violence Resource Centre Victoria, Collingwood, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: Mandy
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mckenzie
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003416:Criminal Law / Q000706:statistics & numerical data / Q000639:trends*; D017579:Domestic Violence / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D006708:Homicide / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D035846:Law Enforcement / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D063507:Sexism; D012747:Sexual Partners; D014739:Victoria
keywords: family violence; intimate partner murder; law reform; self-defense