Homicides

Spousal homicides increased in 2001 for the first time in six years, but the rate of youths charged with homicide dropped to a 30-year low. Overall, the national homicide rate remained stable for the third consecutive year.

Police reported a total of 554 homicides in 2001, eight more than in 2000. The national homicide rate, which has generally been declining since the mid-1970s, was 1.78 homicides for every 100,000 individuals, similar to levels during the late 1960s.

Most victims of homicide knew their killer. In 2001, about 45% of all solved homicides were committed by an acquaintance, and 43% by a family member. The remaining 13% of victims were killed by a stranger, a proportion that has remained relatively constant over the past 10 years.

Spousal homicides rise

Police classified a total of 183 homicides in 2001 as family-related, 52 more than in 2000. However, 2001's total was only slightly higher than the annual average of 175 from 1991 to 2000.

A total of 86 spousal homicides were reported in 2001, up from 68 in 2000, the first increase since 1995. Spousal slayings accounted for 47% of all family homicides and one-fifth of solved homicides in 2001.

The number of men accused of killing their current wife or ex-wife rose from 52 in 2000 to 69 in 2001, with virtually all of this increase occurring in Ontario. The number of women accused of killing their husband (16) was unchanged from 2000. One homicide was committed by a same-sex spouse.

Homicides by other intimate partners, such as boyfriends or girlfriends, decreased from 23 in 2000 to 12 in 2001. In total, 52% of all female victims and 8% of all male victims in 2001 were killed by an individual with whom they had an intimate relationship at one time, either through marriage or dating.

The other family-related homicides included 26 victims killed by their father or step-father, 17 by their mother or step-mother, 21 by their son, 4 by their daughter, 8 by a sibling and the remaining 21 by an extended family member.

Most multiple-victim homicides and murder-suicides were family-related, and the vast majority of accused persons in these types of incidents were male.

Plunge in youth homicides

The rate of young people aged 12 to 17 accused of homicide declined for the third year in a row, resulting in the lowest rate in 30 years.

There were 30 young people accused of committing homicide in 2001, 13 fewer than in 2000, and considerably less than the annual average of 52 during the previous decade.

The decline in 2001 was largely the result of a decrease in the number of male youths accused of homicide. Despite this decline, males still accounted for 83% of homicides committed by youths, similar to the proportion of 87% among adults.

Majority of both victims and accused had criminal records

Two-thirds of the 485 people accused of homicide had a criminal record, consistent with previous years. The majority of these individuals had been previously convicted of a violent offence, including four for homicide.

Of these four, three had completed their prison sentence and were living in the community, and one was in a correctional institution when the homicide occurred.

In addition, 51% of the 505 homicide victims over the age of 12 also had a criminal record. Prior convictions for violent offences were the most common. A total of 139 victims had been previously convicted of a violent offence, including two for homicide.

One in nine homicides a gang-related slaying

Police reported 62 victims of gang-related slayings, down from 72 in 2000. However, they accounted for one out of every nine homicides in 2001. Gang-related homicides have almost tripled since the early 1990s. Two-thirds involved drug trafficking or the settling of accounts.

From 1991 to 2000, Quebec accounted for the majority of all gang-related incidents. However, in 2001, Quebec accounted for only 37%, because of an increase in incidents in Ontario.

Firearms involved in about one-third of homicides

Firearms were involved in 31% of all homicides in 2001, a proportion consistent with previous years.

Of the 171 firearm-related homicides, 110 were committed with a handgun, 46 with a rifle or shotgun, 7 with a sawed-off rifle or shotgun, 3 with a fully automatic firearm, and 5 with another type of firearm.

Handguns were used in 65% of all firearm homicides. This proportion has risen from 46% in 1998 as a result of the continuing decline in the number of homicides involving rifles or shotguns.

A further 31% of homicide victims were stabbed to death in 2001; 22% of victims died as a result of beatings and 8% from strangulation or suffocation. Eight babies died in 2001 as a result of shaken baby syndrome.

Homicide rates generally higher in western Canada

Homicide rates were higher in the West than in the East in 2001, which has generally been the case in the past.

Among the provinces, Manitoba recorded the highest rate (2.96 homicides for every 100,000 individuals) for the second year in a row, followed by Saskatchewan (2.66).

Newfoundland and Labrador, with one homicide, reported the lowest rate for the third consecutive year, followed by Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. Nova Scotia's rate was its lowest since 1963, and the rate in British Columbia was the lowest since 1964.

Among Canada's nine largest metropolitan areas, Winnipeg reported the highest homicide rate at 2.77 victims for every 100,000 population; Ottawa reported the lowest rate (0.36), its lowest since 1984. Among metropolitan areas with populations between 100,000 and 500,000, Regina had the highest rate (3.53), and Sherbrooke, with no homicides, had the lowest.

Available on CANSIM: tables 253-0001 to 253-0006.

Information on methods and data quality available in the Integrated Meta Data Base: survey number 3315.

Juristat: Homicide in Canada, 2001, Vol. 22, no. 7 (85-002-XIE, $8/$70; 85-002-XPE, $10/$93) is now available.

For more information, or to enquire about the concepts, methods or data quality of this release, contact Information and Client Services (1-800-387-2231; 613-951-9023), Canadian Centre for Justice Statistics.