25 women murdered in Portugal in 2024
On the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, activists and political parties called for stronger preventive measures and community involvement.
What?
In 2024, so far, 25 women have murdered in Portugal between January 1 and November 15, according to a preliminary report by the Observatory of Murdered Women (OMA) - available here (in Portuguese).
The report was by presented by UMAR (Union of Women Alternative and Response) released on the occasion of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women - November 25.
While the overall number of female homicides is comparable to the same period in 2023, cases classified as femicides—murders motivated by gender-based violence—have surged by 33%, accounting for 20 of this year’s killings.
Earlier data also showed that domestic violence is the most reported and most deadly crime in Portugal.
PM’s reaction
Prime Minister Luís Montenegro addressed the issue during a conference on Monday to mark the International Day for Elimination of Violence against Women.
He argued that increased reporting reflects greater societal awareness rather than a “real increase” in the phenomenon - an opinion that immediately triggered a backlash.
The leader of the Socialists, Pedro Nuno Santos, said that the PM showed a lack of respect for victims of domestic violence.
“Luís Montenegro has the right to think things, but a Prime Minister needs to be less light-hearted and more respectful of the facts,’ wrote Pedro Nuno Santos, in a post on the social network X.
On Tuesday, PM Montenegro replied to the accusation: “If there are some who think that saying this is taking a light-hearted view of this type of crime, I would say that the light-hearted person is the one who doesn’t see the reality in front of their eyes.”
The Left Bloc also criticised Montenegro. The party’s coordinator, Mariana Mortágua, advised Montenegro to have “fewer perceptions and more facts” and the deputy Joana Mortágua said that “when you summarise security in “perceptions” you get a mess”.
Femicides in Context
The report highlights that 16 of the femicides occurred in intimate relationships, with 15 perpetrators being men and one a woman.
Of these cases, 12 involved ongoing relationships, while four stemmed from relationships that had ended. In eight cases, the perpetrator and victim shared children, three of whom were minors.
The remaining four femicides included three within non-intimate family settings and one in the context of sexual violence.
Shockingly, half of the femicides could have been prevented with earlier intervention, as prior violence was known to family, neighbors, or friends.
Six femicide cases involved police reports prior to the killings, three of which included documented death threats.
Some perpetrators had criminal histories, including domestic violence, with one even having previously committed femicide against a former partner.
The majority of victims were over 36 years old, with many leaving behind children, including minors in six cases.
Most aggressors were aged 51–64, and nearly half were parents themselves.
A Growing Concern
Beyond femicides, domestic violence in Portugal continues to escalate.
Police statistics reveal over 75,000 incidents reported between 2019 and 2023, with 15,499 new complaints filed in 2023 alone—a 1.8% increase compared to 2022.
Authorities have taken steps such as conducting post-incident visits, drafting safety plans, and enhancing patrols near victims' homes or workplaces.
Despite these measures, the persistence of domestic violence underscores systemic challenges. The Portuguese police have trained additional officers to specialize in addressing such crimes, with 292 new specialists joining by the end of November 2023.