A new documentary, I Cut Off His Penis: The Truth Behind the Headlines, examines the phenomenon of penicide through several high-profile cases. The programme largely follows the traditional format of revisiting famous incidents, adding context from trials and later revelations, and correcting media distortions.
The most notorious case is that of Lorena Bobbitt, who severed her husband John's penis with a kitchen knife in 1993 and threw it from her car window. At her trial, she detailed years of abuse, including rape and beatings, which John denied. She was acquitted by reason of temporary insanity and spent 45 days in a psychiatric hospital. The documentary also recalls a spate of similar attacks in Bangkok between 1973 and 1980, where the health ministry issued guidelines for preserving severed organs for reattachment.
The most harrowing case involves Brigitte Harris, who cut off her father's penis fearing he would abuse his young niece, as he had abused her from age three. She researched how to do it without killing him and called 911 afterwards, but he choked on a gag and died. She was sentenced to five years for manslaughter and now says she feels free for the first time. The programme includes one male victim, “Ollie”, whose girlfriend attacked him without explanation, offering some balance.
The documentary largely presents perpetrators' stories to argue that women rarely commit such violence without extreme provocation, often fearing for their lives. Experts, including solicitor Harriet Wistrich and Professor Jacqueline B Helfgott, challenge societal shock at these crimes, noting the normalisation of violence against women in entertainment. Wistrich observes that the women's actions have “their own inner logic” and are “a normal response to an abnormal experience.”
