Domestic violence against women has increasingly been recognized nationally and internationally as a serious problem. Violence against women is a troubling phenomenon in Russia. Meanwhile domestic abuse against women often results in long-term mental health problems.

The main aim of the study was to find out the psychological and psychiatric consequences of violence against women and to determine the origins of crimes committed by abused females.

A cohort of 18 females was examined by forensic psychiatrists. All women had committed crimes of violence (murders, attempted murders). Details of background, psychiatric and offending history were extracted. Each item was assessed with the help of descriptive statistics.

A research has been carried out on the basis of psychiatric and forensic psychiatric assessment of two groups of women who had a long history of violence by their husbands or partners. Clinical assessment has revealed depression, anxiety, low self-esteem, post-traumatic stress disorder, drug abuse. All women underwent forensic psychiatric assessment as they had committed serious crimes of violence. The research has revealed two types of homicides. Women of the first subgroup displayed pathological altruistic motivation of their children. Women of the second subgroup had committed homicides of their husbands and partners whose violence towards women escalated in severity.

The research shows the necessity of domestic violence prevention by legal provisions and multidisciplinary research with participation of psychiatrists, psychologists, sociologists, human rights advocates and feminist societies.

The authors have not supplied their declaration of competing interest.