Female Mortality due to Intimate Partner Violence in Sergipe: A Temporal Analysis (2015 to 2022)

Abstract

The objective of the present study was to outline the epidemiological profile of women who were killed by intimate aggression, during the period from 2015 to 2022, registered at the Instituto Médico Legal de Sergipe (IML). The data was selected from the IML for deaths in women of all ages and locations in Sergipe. These data were later filtered by type of violence, choosing the intimate type. Time series analyzes were carried out to verify the trend over the years. They were 1821 expert reports were analyzed and 108 cases of death due to intimate aggression were found. Most cases occurred using a sharp weapon (44%), followed by firearms (31%). The average age of the victims was 33.5 (± 12.8) years, ranging from 14 to 71 years. Among the municipalities of residence, 15% of the victims were from Aracaju, the capital of Sergipe, 12% from Itabaiana and 8% from Nossa Senhora do Socorro, municipalities close to the capital. In 99% of cases, the place of death was the victim's residence. The Annual Percentage Variation (APV) in mortality showed an increase in the period analyzed. Thus, it can be observed that violence due to intimate aggression against women in Sergipe, in the period from 2015 to 2022, is an increasing situation. Analysis of data from the Legal Medical Institute showed that, during this period, there were 108 cases of death due to intimate aggression, with the majority of victims being young, with an average age of 33.5 years. Bladed weapons and firearms were the main causes of death, and most crimes took place in the victims' homes.