Flying under and through the radar: tactics used by intimate partner femicide perpetrators to evade interventions

Abstract

Intimate partner femicide often originates in abusive relationships characterized by pervasive coercive control and patterns of intimate partner violence. Despite extensive research on coercive control and an increasing focus on perpetrators’ life stories, a crucial gap remains in understanding how perpetrators evade intervention by peers and formal systems before the murder occurs. Expanding on Monckton Smith’s 8 stage homicide timeline, this study uses a life history approach with a cross-national sample of perpetrators to examine strategies they used to evade intervention by social systems (e.g., police, community) prior to the femicide. Drawing on 97 biographical, open-ended interviews with incarcerated men in Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Honduras, Mexico, Paraguay, and Venezuela, the study employs inductive thematic analysis and time classification techniques to examine the chronological development of abusive relationships. The analysis reveals seven evasion strategies: social isolation, gaslighting, limiting outside employment, vilifying perceived external enemies, relying on alliances with male peers, body territorializing, and disrupting healthcare access. These findings underscore consistent patterns of coercive control and relationship dynamics that escalate toward femicide, illustrating how perpetrators “flew under and through the radar” of both peers and institutions capable of intervening. A notable finding is the role of male complicity and support, highlighting a community dynamic with significant implications for the femicide crisis in Latin America. This study emphasizes the importance of recognizing these evasion tactics as missed intervention opportunities for both informal social networks and formal institutions. By identifying these strategies, the research provides critical insights to inform and strengthen femicide prevention efforts.