Dödligt våld mot äldre: En kvalitativ intervjustudie om det dödliga våldet mot äldre personer i nära relation

Abstract

One of the most serious crimes against human rights is to deprive a person's right to life. In Sweden, 16 people are killed annually by a person they have or have had a relationship with, of which the majority of victims are women. Intimate Partner Homicide is an area that is highlighted both in research and in the media, but when it comes to understanding how deadly violence differs between the age groups and especially when it comes to people over 65, research is limited. This despite the fact that the Swedish National Board of Health and Welfare classifies the elderly as a particularly vulnerable group for exposure to violence due to various forms of Ageism and Marginalization. The aim of the study is to investigate the deadly violence against older people over the age of 65, this by interviewing eight people who in their professional role within the police, public agency, civil society organizations, the media and social science research have knowledge and experience about elderly violence and/or Intimate Partner Homicide and analyze the data based on a qualitative thematic analysis method. By applying the theoretical framework of intersectionality, the ecological framework of violence and Ageism, it is possible to understand how different factors collaborate and can increase the risk of violence. The study indicates that the deadly violence and its risk factors are often the same as of the general Intimate Partner Homicide, but that there are specific differences such as several different potential perpetrators, such as adult children and that homicide-suicide is more common among the elderly. Above all, a significant risk of older women being killed is related to the physical and mental health of the victim and/or the perpetrator. But in order to prevent deadly violence against older people, the issue needs to be raised at a societal level, but above all within research. Since the study is based on a limited number of interviews, the study does not intend to provide a comprehensive answer to the phenomenon but contribute to knowledge in an area that today lacks research in the human rights field but also in other disciplines in Swedish research.