Holidays and “call effect” trigger sexist murders in December, increasingly committed “with more anger”

Sayuri, 45 years old, She was stabbed to death by her companion at Hospitalet de Llobregat (Barcelona). Jennifer, 30 years oldsuffered numerous fatal injuries to her chest and back from her boyfriend for months. Also Rossmery, 39was stabbed several times in the stomach by his partner and in front of his two minor children. Oriane, 29 years oldsought help until she died from a dozen stab wounds to the chest from her boyfriend. These are the four feminicides that occurred in December, in a dark month for gender-based violence which brought the number of women murdered to 45 in 2025.

Several factors influence this increase in murders, beyond machismo, present in all feminicides. Data shows that during any holiday period, such as summer or Christmas, when Routines change, social life intensifies and violence skyrockets. “We know that at a time when family dynamics are changing, taking action and carrying out serious attacks and homicides can be facilitated,” says the coroner and former government delegate against gender violence, Miguel Lorente.

Added to this is the call “imitation effect” or “call effect”, which happens when an attacker has his idea of ​​committing murder reinforced after seeing the news of femicide on the news. “And then there is the most subliminal, but also present, factor which generates this distrust towards the system and this reinforcement in the aggressor: the denial“, adds Lorente.

“No more rage, no more anger and no more emotional charge”

Greater cruelty was also seen in the killings, with more brutal and violent attacks. The expert himself testifies to this change in trend after analyzing the convictions of the last decade for homicides for gender-based violence, as a member of the group of experts of the General Council of the Judicial Power (CGPJ). “When we compare the first 10 years with the last 10 years, “We see that the increase in the number of stabbings has increased by 51.2%”details Lorente, who explains that if the average in the first decade since records of gender violence began was 16.2 stabbings, in the last decade it is 24.5. An increase which was also “significant”, of almost 60%, in the number of blows, going from 12.7 to 20.1 blows on average per attack.

“The reading of this annual comparison is that, from the first 10 years to the last 10 years, there is a 19% decrease in the number of homicides of murdered women, but those that do occur are committed with much more anger, with much more anger and with much more emotional charge“, he assures. According to Lorente, this is the result of a growing polarization of society and a growing denial of equality policies, which are already presented on several occasions as an “attack against men.” “Men who take the step of homicide do so with a much more marked emotional charge,” he adds.

Something which, for the coroner, confirms this idea is the decrease in the number of suicides after the murder sexist. Yes, on average, in the 20% among feminicides, the attacker committed suicide; This year, this percentage is 11%that is to say half. “When the attacker commits suicide, it is because he believes that after the homicide he will suffer rejection, criticism, alienation from people who are dear to him. But if he does not perceive this rejection and believes that it will be justified, we will understand that he had reasons to do it… When he perceives a possibility of acceptance, he does not commit suicide” said Lorente.

Detecting cases in the health system

Regardless, the expert insists that each case has its particularities and assures that it is very complicated to prevent and protect victims given each history of violence. What must be done, in the months when it has been shown that more feminicides are occurring, as he defends, is to strengthen and increase all the measures that already exist. “What must be understood is that by not controlling the individuality of cases, “We need to adopt general measures.”he emphasizes.