The present study compared cases of attempted and completed homicide in Hamburg from 1984 to 1989 and from 1995 to 2000 (n = 887). Data collection was performed using the police records. Attempted homicide showed a significant increase (34.8% vs. 57.9%, P <0.0001). The majority of the victims and offenders were male with the share of male victims increasing from 59.7% to 74.2% (P <0.0001). The age of the victims and offenders ranged between 22 and 40 years in both periods. The share of persons with a nationality other than German increased both in the victims (23.1% vs. 37.2%, P <0.0001) and in the offenders (26.8% vs. 37.2%, P <0.0001). The most common motives were interpersonal conflicts and robbery. The most frequently used forms of violence were sharp force, blunt force and strangulation.
The present study compared cases of attempted and completed homicide in Hamburg from 1984 to 1989 and from 1995 to 2000 (n = 887). Data collection was performed using the police records. Attempted homicide showed a significant increase (34.8% vs. 57.9%, P <0.0001). The majority of the victims and offenders were male with the share of male victims increasing from 59.7% to 74.2% (P <0.0001). The age of the victims and offenders ranged between 22 and 40 years in both periods. The share of persons with a nationality other than German increased both in the victims (23.1% vs. 37.2%, P <0.0001) and in the offenders (26.8% vs. 37.2%, P <0.0001). The most common motives were interpersonal conflicts and robbery. The most frequently used forms of violence were sharp force, blunt force and strangulation.