Narratives of Intimate Partner Femicide with Love

Abstract

Love can be expressed in many ways, and as has been established throughout this book, in the case of intimate couples or even wider families, it is believed that men can use violence to express love, or the depth of their love. A popular conceptualization of this approach can be seen in so-called ‘crimes of passion’ which are characterized as outbursts of extreme violence, directed at a loved one, and in response to provocations which threaten the perceived stability of a loving or romantic relationship, and can be considered a demonstration of depth of love for the victim. It is popularly believed that crimes of passion can be committed by both men and women. However, in reality, men are afforded more sympathy in this respect, and women are rarely excused for using violence in response to infidelity for example, in the way men are.