[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 148 (2002), Part 14]
[Senate]
[Page 19158]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




        WHEN MEN MURDER WOMEN: AN ANALYSIS OF 2000 HOMICIDE DATA

  Mr. LEVIN. Mr. President, earlier this week the Violence Policy 
Center released its annual review examining the role of firearms in 
murders involving one female victim and one male offender. The analysis 
found that in 2000, the most recent data available, a majority of women 
who were murdered were killed with firearms. Seventy-six percent of all 
firearm homicides of women were committed with handguns. The report is 
sobering in demonstrating how easily a domestic violence dispute can 
turn into domestic homicide.
  According to the VPC's review, in 2000, there were 1,805 women 
murdered by males in single victim/single offender incidents reported 
to the FBI. Of the more 1,800 women murdered, 963 of the victims were 
wives or intimate acquaintances of their killers and 331 were murdered 
during the course of an argument. In my home State of Michigan, 82 
women were murdered. For homicides in which police could identify the 
weapon, 41 were shot and killed with guns. Of these, 22 victims were 
killed with handguns.
  In 1996, Congress passed legislation to deny firearms purchases to 
individuals who were under a domestic violence restraining order or 
convicted of a domestic violence misdemeanor. Despite the passage of 
this law, many people are slipping through the system. I supported that 
legislation because of evidence that people who had committed acts of 
domestic violence were buying guns and using them. I also support 
closing the gun show loophole, which requires background checks for 
people who purchase guns at gun shows. The lack of background checks at 
gun shows leaves battered women and their children more vulnerable to 
violence.
  October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month. The VPC's report 
highlights how much we still have to do to protect women from becoming 
victims of domestic violence, and I urge my colleagues to support 
sensible gun safety legislation.

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