If I had to take a guess why, it might be there are consequences now for domestic abuse upon partners. Back in the day, I mean really back, like before women's rights,when a man was married to a women, there wasn't any laws against a married man abusing his wife, and there wasn't much law enforcement could do about it. Divorces also were hard to achieve back than. As far as increase in murder/suicide, some men just can't let go, though it's not the only reason, back when I was younger, in grade schools, there were a couple of times a man took out his entire family, both times to financial constraints. Again, back than, women still hadn't obtained total rights to employment, I am just guessing, but maybe they thought their wife and children wouldn't survive with or without them. Today it's just totally different and there are organizations that even help women escape abusive situations.