By: Kyana Villalobos October 7, BATTERED WOMAN

BATTERED WOMEN 2 BATTERED WOMAN

 Men batter four million women a year  The abuser is a time bomb lashing out frustrations to regain power  Untold number of women that suffer permanent disfigurement and disabilities  Tracey Thurman Story BATTERED WOMEN 3 BATTERED WOMAN

 Battering is about maintaining power and dominance in a relationship  The person abused is trapped in their own home by a batterer who thinks they have the right to do whatever it takes to regain control  Victim of a viscous cycle of abuse: three stages: tension-building, acute phase, and honeymoon stage  National Council on Child Abuse and Family Violence- woman 5x > than men to be victims  Syndrome used as a defense for battered women who kill  1,500 women die from battering while about 1,000 women kill their abusers IMPORTANCE 4 BATTERED WOMAN

CYCLE OF VIOLENCE 5 BATTERED WOMAN

 In past practically nothing done to help a battered woman. Would treat it as a private family matter  “Rule of Thumb” amendment in a section of British Common Law legalizing the beating of wives by their husbands, provided that the switch or rod used by “no thicker than his thumb”.  1970’s “battered woman syndrome” became a pioneered concept by women’s movement and researcher/author Lenore Walker began to change social attitudes HISTORY 6 BATTERED WOMAN

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 O.J. Simpson case brought national attention to domestic violence  Earlier he was arrested by authorities for beating his wife so severely she needed hospital treatment  Pleaded no contest to misdemeanor spousal batter charges, served no jail time, paid a small fine, and was allowed to receive counseling over the phone by psychiatrist of his choice  After Nicole Brown Simpson’s, wife, murder event received new attention and he was charged with murder  1994, passage of Federal Violence against women act paved way for changes in laws, provisions for victim restitution, grant money for special programs, and other forms of assistance to local organizations combating violence against women FAMOUS TRIAL 8 BATTERED WOMAN

 Before courts held defendants legally responsible for their acts of violence against another person the Supreme Court of North Carolina ruled in 1874 – when a husband “chastises” his wife, “if no permanent injury has been inflicted…it is better to draw the curtain, shut out the public gaze, and leave the parties to forgive and forget.”  Cases involving battered woman who kill abusive husbands or boyfriends, defense attorneys present BWS (battered woman syndrome) clearly and convincingly enough in some criminal trials that jurors accepted BWS as supporting evidence in the defense of temporary insanity and in some cases lawful self-defense  Legal system has misunderstanding to nature of BWS in a case  Woman kill or injure spouse or partner as result of continual physical or psychological abuse THE LEGAL SYSTEM & COURTS 9 BATTERED WOMAN

 Not a defense but important piece of evidence  Must present proffer of evidence, which is a pretrial offer of proof to determine the legal sufficiency of the defense  Several methods of offer proof  Safest defense is attorney presenting summary of defendants expected testimony  Most difficult defense is to place woman on witness stand and the greatest objection to proffer is requirement that the defendant tells her background twice in detail, during proffer and at the trial  1990, Ohio Governor Richard Celeste ordered the release from prison of 25 battered women who had killed or attempted to kill their husbands on the grounds that they had been denied fair trials b/c expert testimony about battering and domestic violence was not allowed into evidence THE LEGAL SYSTEM & COURTS 10 BATTERED WOMAN

 Men batter 4million women a year according to National Clearinghouse on Domestic Violence  Women yrs old are injured through Domestic Violence in the United States  Abuser is a human time bomb ready to lash frustrations on his wife to regain power  Untold number of women suffer permanent disfigurement and disabilities from abuse from their spouse  Office on Domestic Violence was finally founded in 1980 by U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in response to concerns of millions of battered women  Hotlines now around the country as well as shelters for battered women  Battered women are more recognized throughout society but courtroom still has much to figure out STATISTICS TO LEAVE YOU WITH 11 BATTERED WOMAN topicages Women injured through Domestic violence Ages 15-44yrs.

 Tracey Thurman Story- Tracey Thurman Story-  v=DhNC9VPBXXI v=DhNC9VPBXXI WEBSITES Back to Beginning 12 BATTERED WOMAN  Celeberties- Celeberties-  log/newjersey-child-parenting- issues/10-celebrities-who-were-victims- of-domestic-violence/ log/newjersey-child-parenting- issues/10-celebrities-who-were-victims- of-domestic-violence/