The Killing of Women in “Sex Games Gone Wrong”: An Analysis of Femicides in Great Britain 2000–2018

Abstract

This research investigated cases of femicide in Great Britain where perpetrators claimed that victims died in "sex games gone wrong." Forty-three femicides that resulted in a conviction for murder, manslaughter, or culpable homicide were examined in relation to victim-perpetrator sociodemographic characteristics, victim-perpetrator relationship, homicide details, and criminal justice outcomes. Key patterns within the data were identified. The research highlights that the "sex game gone wrong" narrative has gained traction against a cultural backdrop of normalized bondage, domination, and sadomasochism (BDSM) within neoliberal political economy.