Penile Mutilation by Female Partners: An Under-Addressed Social Concern in Bangladesh

Introduction

In patriarchal societies, men are culturally expected to be dominant, sexually assertive, and emotionally resilient. As a result, mutilation of the penis produces intense shame and fear of emasculation in men.^1,2 It may have a deeper socio-psychological significance, like revenge, humiliation, or assertion of control toward victims. ³

Globally, there have been reports of penile mutilation due to domestic disputes, marital discord, war, sexual disputes, or as a punishment.^3,4 In ancient Egypt during the reigns of Merneptah and Ramesses III, warriors used to take penises as trophies from defeated enemies. ⁵ However, most documented cases occur in domestic or intimate partner settings, where a partner was committing adultery or not respecting their spouse. ⁴ Despite its severe consequences, including loss of reproductive function, long-term psychological damage, and social stigmatization, male genital violence remains underreported. Less attention has been paid to physical and sexual violence against men, and violence toward male reproductive organs remains one of the most underreported phenomena.^6,7 It is found that studies about female-perpetrated abuse are limited and often create controversies, and writers often get attacked by feminists and women’s groups. ⁸ George (1994) even termed studies about female-perpetrated violence as “Great Taboo.” ⁹ Since Bangladesh has a conservative and patriarchal society, violence against women is much more common than against men, ¹⁰ and it has traditionally occupied the focus of media narratives. ⁹ As a result, violence against men is underreported. ⁹ Penile mutilation has been reported in media and news outlets in Bangladesh, which is associated with marital discord, domestic disputes, and adultery. However, there has been no systematic attempt to examine the sociodemographic patterns, relational contexts, or motives underlying such incidents in the country. Therefore, this study aims to shed light on this neglected, however, serious form of violence by examining cases of penile mutilation in Bangladesh, focusing on the sociodemographic characteristics of victims, the nature of the perpetrator-victim relationship, the underlying motives of the attacks, and the consequences for the victims and perpetrators.

Methods

Results

Perpetrator Profile, Motives, Method Used, Severity, and Outcome

In all 43 cases, the perpetrator was female. The majority (69.8%) of perpetrators were the spouses of victims, 13.9% of perpetrators were relatives such as sisters-in-law or nieces, and 11.6% were strangers, and in two cases (4.7%), the perpetrator was a nonmarital partner (girlfriend, ex-wife, or partner).

Adultery, infidelity, or multiple marriages were the most commonly reported motive (67.4%) for this crime. Domestic disputes, self-defense, and unknown motives each accounted for 9.3% of cases, while rejection/revenge (4.7%) was also reported (Table 1).

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Table 1.

Perpetrator Profile, Motives, Severity, and Outcome (N = 43).

Variable	Category	Frequency (n)	Percentage (%)
Relationship to the victim	Wife	30	69.8
	Relative (e.g., sister-in-law, niece)	6	13.9
	Stranger	5	11.6
	Girlfriend/partner/ex-wife (nonmarital)	2	4.7
Potential factors	Adultery/infidelity/multiple marriage	29	67.4
	Domestic dispute	4	9.3
	Self-defense	4	9.3
	Unknown	4	9.3
	Rejection/revenge	2	4.7
Legal action	No	25	58.1
	Yes (partial/attempted)	16	37.2
	Yes (against the victim)	2	4.7

The most common method (97.7%) used to mutilate penis was an unspecified sharp object or weapon, and in one case, teeth were used. In 23.7% of the cases, the penis was fully severed; in 20.9%, the injury was partial. In more than half of the cases (55.8%), the extent of penile injury was unknown. Among the cases, two persons (4.7%) died due to the injury, and the rest were alive.

Although penile mutilation is considered a grievous hurt, legal action was not taken in 58.1% of cases. Legal proceedings were initiated in 37.2% of cases, including instances where perpetrators were arrested or cases were under process. Additionally, in two cases (4.7%), legal action was taken against the victim rather than the perpetrator.

Discussion

The data showed that the majority of victims were adult men aged between 18 and 34 years. In this age group, people tend to engage in marriage and perform sexual activities. In our study, most of the victims (74.4%) were married, and the majority of perpetrators (69.8%) were their spouses. Adultery, infidelity, or multiple marriages were the most common factor (67.4%). This suggests that violence against male genitalia in Bangladesh predominantly occurs between married couples and most commonly due to marital discord as a result of adultery and infidelity, aligning with previous findings from Thailand, where female-perpetrated genital violence was linked to public humiliation of the wives in the presence of concubines. ⁴

Although in many cases the occupation of the victim was unknown, the known occupations showed that many victims are from lower socio-economic backgrounds, such as garment workers, van pullers, coconut sellers, vegetable sellers, fishermen, tailors, and drug dealers. In patriarchal societies like Bangladesh, men are culturally expected to be the primary providers of the family. ¹¹ However, when they fail to meet these expectations, the family faces economic hardship, and that creates chronic tension within households, which is more common in polygamy,^12,13 which can result in marital discord and push the perpetrators to commit such crimes. Similar incidents were also found in Thailand. ⁴ Adult male survivors of sexual or genital violence often face intense social stigma, as societal norms presume men to be invulnerable and dominant. This stigma discourages men from identifying as victims or sharing personal details, such as occupation, due to fear of shame and being perceived as less masculine. ¹⁴

Notably, in 9.3% of cases, the perpetrators claimed to have committed such violence as self-defense during attempted sexual assaults by the victim. Boxall et al. (2020) found that most of the female-perpetrated violence occurred in self-defense or retaliation, where the female was responding to prior abuse by a male partner. ¹⁵ These circumstances highlight the need for careful contextual analysis when documenting and prosecuting these peculiar violences. While most cases occurred due to marital discord, the existence of self-defense scenarios reminds us that such incidents are not uniformly one-dimensional, and we must search for the motivations and circumstances surrounding female-perpetrated genital violence.

The findings indicated that in about 60% of the cases, legal initiatives were not taken even though it could be considered a grievous hurt. It can be explained by several aspects, like not seeking legal measures as it was performed by spouse or enduring stigma. Other possibilities could be the reporting bias, as news portals report the events during the early phase of the events, and legal initiatives could be attempted after passing the emergencies created by the event itself. And, finally, it can be an artifact. Further studies are warranted to explore the issue.

Conclusion

This study provides the first systematic documentation and analysis of penile mutilation by female partners in Bangladesh. We find that such violence is mostly committed by a spouse, with the primary motive being infidelity, adultery, or multiple marriages. Despite the severity of the violence, legal action was taken in fewer than 40% of cases. The findings highlight an emerging yet overlooked form of sex-based violence that demands urgent legal, social, and public health attention.