Primary fire homicide in Australia: Trends, victim–offender relationships, and gendered violence, 1989–2023

Contemporary case reports, such as the 2020 quadruple homicide of Hannah Clarke and her three children in Queensland, Australia, have brought renewed attention to the use of fire as a lethal weapon in Domestic and Family Violence (DFV), particularly in Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) contexts. Despite high-profile incidents, criminological literature has not empirically examined recent trends in fire-related homicides in Australia. Prior studies, using data from the National Homicide Monitoring Program (NHMP), compared periods between 1989–2005 and 2005–2010, which highlighted a 44% increase in fire-related homicides between 1991–2000 and 2001–2010, but trend analysis has not been completed post 2010. This study updates the evidence across 1989–1990 to 2022–2023 with a specific focus on cases where fire is used as the primary weapon, referred to as Primary Fire Homicide (PFH). The study pays particular attention to incidents occurring within DFV and IPV environments, where emotional motivation and power dynamics are key drivers to violence. Using NHMP data, this research provides updated insights into national trends and patterns of PFH, which can be used to inform policy formulation as well as investigative procedures for fire-related homicide.