PORTFOLIO

‘Men kill women because they want to keep them, women kill men because they want to get rid of them!’ (Quote from a criminologist)

Every third day a woman is killed in Germany. Over 70% of them by German men. Because it's about power, loss of control and property. Femicide, the killing of women because they are women, is the technical term for these motives. The socio-political debate about re-evaluating the killing of women, including in a legal context, has been gaining ground for some time now. Femicide has not been recognised as a phenomenon for many decades, not even as an offence in its own right. Honour killing, relationship crime, jealousy drama - these are terms that dominate media and public perception in the context of femicide. But it is about far more than tragic relationship dramas. It is about emancipation, equal rights, education and the protection of women. Women who have often been threatened over a long period of time and whose autonomy poses a threat to men. The four-part series for the ARD media centre uses four different cases from the past to show what forms of femicide take place in Germany. The perpetrators come from all walks of life. Investigators, public prosecutors, defence lawyers, eyewitnesses and journalists who have worked on these cases are involved in the series. The perpetrators do not have their say. The series will be complemented by expert Dr Monika Schröttle, who has been researching this topic for over 20 years and has built up a European network. She will categorise the cases and explore the socio-political dimension.


Broadcast dates MDR

17.04.2024 - 21:15: They had to die - Femicides: Jeanny

24.04.2024 - 21:15: They had to die - Femicides: Katja