Domestic violence is a serious problem in Portugal, affecting mainly women. The significant number of femicides in the context of intimate partner violence has been showing not only the severity of the crime, but also the necessity to reinforce strategies to prevent and combat it. Although several studies were developed in the last decades to portray domestic violence, research on the threat of death and attempted femicide is scarce. This study aims to characterize death threats and attempts of femicide, in the light of the professionals’ perspectives from the Portugal National Support Network for Victims of Domestic Violence, contributing to informing best practices of risk assessment. Seventy-one professionals, 62 female (87.3%) and 9 male (12.7%), at an average age of 37.69 years, filled a questionnaire survey. Results suggest weaknesses in the application of current legislation and the adoption of effective measures in situations where victims experience death threats and attempted murders. Although there are criminal proceedings before these episodes, this does not seem to have effective consequences in terms of protection and security, whereby the development of strategies that safeguard victims from tragic endings such as femicide are necessary.

The present study aims to understand, through the perceptions of nine Portuguese victims of domestic violence, women aged 27–59 years old, how they characterize their companion animals and what role(s) they play in the context of domestic violence. Individual, semi-structured interviews were conducted and coded via thematic analysis. To evaluate victims’ psychological suffering, the Outcome Questionnaire-10.2 was administered. The results indicated strong attachment between victims of domestic violence and their companion animals, with companion animals being a strong emotional support for them, but also a source of threat and coercion. Most companion animals were direct targets of violence by aggressors, influencing victims’ decisions to stay or leave abusive relationships. The separation between companion animals and victims of domestic violence causes several impacts on health and global functioning. Measures to help victims who own companion animals are discussed.