8th international EFJCA Conference | 30 November & 1 December 2026 | Portlaoise (Ireland)

Bio Floor Van Dalen

Floor Van Dalen is a Forensic Psychologist working as a researcher at Leiden University, in which she focuses on the role of domestic violence in cases of female suicide victims. This research is carried out as a part of the Femicide Monitor project in the Netherlands which aims to gain better insights into lethal violence against women and the effects it has.

Presentation 'Hidden violence: an exploration of domestic violence in women who died by suicide'

Prior studies show that exposure to violence poses a significant risk factor for suicidality. This is particularly relevant given that, globally, intimate partner violence (IPV) is the most common type of violence against women as nearly one in three women has experienced IPV in their lifetime. In this context, suicide can be directly related to prior exposure to IPV and seen as an escape from the violence, or it can be indirectly related when it is mediated through other processes.

Additionally, some cases of suicide are possibly staged suicides, meaning they are homicides made to look a certain way. To further explore the role of violent victimization prior to death, data from forensic physician records was used, spanning from 2015 to 2025, including 545 cases of women that died by suicide. We hypothesize that amongst these women, there will be a significant number of women that follow similar patterns to women that have been killed by their partner or ex-partner. We aim to shed light on the missed violence against women and provide insights for professionals and academics on how to approach these deaths.