Gender differences in patterns and trends in homicides in Malta (2014-2024)

Abstract

This dissertation investigates the gendered nature of homicide in Malta by analysing motivations, methods and patterns across all recorded wilful homicide cases from 2014 to 2024. Although homicide remains rare in Malta, the findings reveal clear gender-based distinctions in victimisation and offender behaviour. By examining detailed police records, supplemented with court documentation and open-source materials, this study provides a systematic data-driven assessment of how gender shapes homicide dynamics in the Maltese context. The research explores how gender influences the selection of weapons, the circumstances surrounding the killing as well as the victim–offender relationship. Female victims were found to be disproportionately killed in domestic settings, primarily by intimate partners or relatives, reflecting longstanding cycles of coercive control and abuse. In contrast, male victims were more often killed by acquaintances or strangers in public spaces during impulsive confrontations that often involved alcohol, disputes or criminal activity. Stabbing emerged as the most common method overall, indicating a shift from earlier decades in which firearms were more prominent in male-on-male violence. These patterns underscore the role of patriarchal structures, opportunity-driven situational factors and learned aggressive behaviours in shaping gendered violence. Using a quantitative design grounded in Bryman’s social research process, the study applied coding, filtering and frequency analysis to classify cases by motive, method and relationship. The findings were interpreted through key criminological theories: Feminist Criminology, Social Learning Theory, Strain Theory and Routine Activity Theory, which provided deeper insight into the social, cultural and psychological forces underlying gender differences in homicide. Feminist perspectives proved especially useful in explaining the persistence of intimate partner femicide, while situational and learning theories accounted for the patterns observed among male victims. Overall, the results highlight significant gendered trends in Maltese homicide: men are primarily victimised in public in situationally motivated violence, whereas women remain at highest risk within domestic environments marked by power imbalances and ongoing abuse. These findings carry important implications for policy and practice. They emphasize the need for strengthened domestic violence prevention, early intervention mechanisms and gender-sensitive legal and social frameworks.