Female suicide bombers ? Chechnya

• Date: 01 January 2018

European Journal of Economics, Law and Social Sciences

IIPCCL Publishing, Graz-Austria

Vol. 2 No. 1

January, 2018

ISSN 2519-1284

Acces online at www.iipccl.org

61

Female suicide bombers – Chechnya

StellaFilipovićŠango

SpeccrimStellaFilipovićŠangosarajevounizakriminalistikukriminologuisigurnosne

studeSarajevo

Abstract

Severalleadingresearchersidentiedsomeimportantfactorsexplainingwhyterrorist groups

usewomentoconductsuicide aacksandperform criticaloperationsaspart oftheiroverall

strategy. This can include tactical advantages: increased number of operatives, increased

mediaaentionandpsychologicalimpact

The incident in the Dubrovka theater in Moscow in 2002, where forty-one Chechen terrorists,

including womenheld about people forthree daysas hostagesuntil Russianforces

enteredthebuilding movedtheBlack Widowsintothespotlight asterroristswith themost

suicideaacksinRussia

Keywords:terrorismsecurityfemalesuicidebombersChechnyaBlackWidows

Introduction

Suicide terrorism is a violent act in which there is willingness to die in order to achieve

the ultimate goal of massive deaths, injuries and destruction. Throughout history,

women have directly and indirectly participated in extremist activities. In recent

yearsthenumber ofsuicideaacks commiedby womenhasgrown considerably

According to a study conducted by Yoram Schweitzer, between 1985 and 2006,

femalebombershavecommiedmorethansuicideaacksaccountingforalmost

15% of the total number of such assaults (Santala, 2009). Schweitzer's database also

identi edthedominant locationsof femalesuicidebombings SriLankaIsraeland

thePalestinianTerritoriesRussiaandChechnyaandTurkeySchweizer

GraphicFemalesuicidebombersbytargetedregionsSourceStudyby

Yoram Schweitzer)