ANROWS Research report, Issue 4, February 2022

Since 1989–90 there have been an average 68 intimate partner
homicides (IPH) per year in Australia, the majority of which
were perpetrated by a male offender against a female intimate
partner (Bricknell & Doherty, 2021).
Intimate partner homicide is the most common form of
homicide in Australia and most victims are women. In
2018–19, 15 per cent of all homicide incidents involved the
murder (or manslaughter) of a female by a male intimate
partner (Bricknell & Doherty, 2021).
Understanding of IPH in Australia – particularly the nature
and course of relationships between victims and offenders – is
limited. In particular, there is a critical need to examine the
sequence of events, interactions and relationship dynamics
preceding and coinciding with the male-perpetrated homicide
of a female intimate partner, in order to inform prevention
and intervention initiatives.
To address this knowledge gap, the Australian Institute of
Criminology (AIC) developed the “Pathways to intimate
partner homicide” project (PIPH). The study aimed to answer
the following research questions:
• Is there a distinct progression of events/phases that lead
up to IPH?

• Do these phases follow a similar sequential pathway?
Are antecedent sequences identifiable and what do they
look like?

• What proportion of incidents are identified as outliers?
How do outliers differ in form and context?

• If a common IPH sequence(s) is identifiable, where do
recognisable intervention points exist?

(From the Executive summary). Record #7527