A Comparative Analysis of Homicide Situations in three Districts of North Gondar Administrative Zone, Ethiopia

Abstract

Homicide is one of the most serious violent crimes leading to the death of a person with intentional or unintentional acts. It involves three main elements: the offender, the victim, and the offense itself. Each homicide is, therefore, unique depending on the diverse combinations of these three elements. Using the routine activities approach (RRA) as a framework and taking homicide situations as a unit of analysis, the current study aims to present a comparative analysis of homicide situations in three districts of northwest Ethiopia. To achieve the objective, the study employed a retrospective analysis of 106 homicide situations available in police crime records over a five-year period (2009/10— 2013/14). Supplementary data was also obtained from cross-sectional survey of 66 homicide convicts. Quantitative data was analyzed using SPSS v.23. Descriptive and inferential statistical tools were used. Qualitative data of cases constructed from police crime records were presented to substantiate quantitative findings. Analyses indicated that differences exist among districts in terms of the patterns of homicide situations (spatio-temporal characteristics, victim-offender relationship, weapons used, and motives behind homicide). The finding also showed that a significant proportion of victims (91.6%) and offenders were men, and the age group between 25—29 was one of the most vulnerable groups to homicide victimization. Moreover, occupation of offenders was significantly associated with the district’s homicide rate ((χ2=33.664, df=4 Chi square critical (df=4) =9.49 (α=0.05); 13.28 (α=0.01)). It is essential for future research to identify underlying social-structural and cultural determinants that produce differences in homicide rates and patterns among the districts.