Every 16 days in Guyana in 2025, a man kills his female partner or ex-partner. That grim statistic underscores how intimate partner killings have surged this year, already far surpassing the toll in 2024, and with a full quarter of the year still to go.
By early September, 16 women had been killed by men they were once in relationships with, compared to nine such killings reviewed by Guyana Standard last year. One additional case in 2024 involved a man who sought to find his ex-partner but instead killed her twin sister; an attack also rooted in intimate partner violence. The frequency of killings has more than doubled, from once every 36.6 days in 2024 to once every 16 days this year.
The victims were wives, girlfriends, or former partners of the killers. And the methods typically involved shooting, stabbing, chopping, and choking.
Dr. Cona Husband, Manager of the Ministry of Human Services’ Sexual Offenses and Domestic Violence Policy Unit, recalled one case that deeply unsettled her staff. A woman had sought help, entered counseling, and was making steady progress. Then she abruptly withdrew, telling social workers she no longer needed support. The unit continued reaching out, but eventually lost contact. Months later, the woman was in the news.
Two of the women killed this year had been receiving support from the unit, but the team has also seen successes. Husband also noted troubling patterns: educated women and LGBT persons are less likely to seek help. She stressed that the unit wants to help everyone.
Cases often involve men who have a sense of entitlement, do not respect women as equals, and have poor anger management techniques, Dr. Husband explained. The government also works with men in this regard.
The government has also been moving to strengthen the legal architecture. The Family Violence Act is one tool in use, after being legislated last year, and a Protection from Harassment Bill is being pursued, Dr. Husband said. Human Services Minister Dr. Vindhya Persaud has also proposed making intimate partner violence a non-bailable offence, as there are cases where men granted bail later attacked their partners again.
Even as these reforms advance, the scale of killings in 2025 marks an escalation of the crisis. With three months still remaining in the year, Guyana faces the prospect of recording one of its deadliest years for intimate partner violence.
