How do you feel on battered woman who kill their abusers ?

This is what we call a slippery slope arguement, and I'll get to why in just a minute. A woman who has been abused is not in the same mindset the rest of us is in. She's thinking survival, rightfully so. If she were to kill the abuser in a matter of self defense, for instance, during an attack, no one and no court on earth could hold her responsible. The problem lies in what happens should she kill him while an attack isn't ongoing. What people fail to understand is that, when you live in an abusive relationship, the attack is ALWAYS ongoing. Even if she's not being physically beaten right then and there, she's under his control emotionally and mentally, and likely financially. Her self respect, self confidence and self esteem are already gone, and the process of abuse is a 24/7 ordeal. He doesn't even have to be in the general viscinity for the abuse to be taking place, once it's begun it stays ongoing until long after she's managed to escape the relationship. Personally, I could justify her actions should she kill him. I would likely see it as understandable and leave it at that. However, it opens doors that shouldn't be opened. Can you imagine how many women would claim domestic violence, or worsen their own situations, in order to get away with killing someone? This is what I meant by slippery slope. So no, for that reason I can't say that I would ever 'legally' justify an abused woman killing her abuser when it's not a matter of immediate self defense. However, I think special circumstances have to be considered case by case, and that the law can't be rigid here. It has to bend according to each persons own situation.

Very good discussion. The first time I ever heard of this happening was back with the Francine Hughes which was made into the movie "The Burning Bed". She literally set the bed on fire while her husband was sleeping. He'd been abusing for years even after she tried to leave him. I believe she got off on the charges but she had a lot of evidence to show how he'd abused her for years, how she'd tried to leave him, and how no one would help her. As the one poster pointed out each case has to be judged on it's own. When the situation is where they are defending themselves during an immediate attack then it's a clear cut case but when it's not then one has to try and figure out what all was happening. Was the woman (or man for that matter since women have been known to abuse husbands) in such a state where she was in constant fear, where she couldn't leave due to that fear, where she though her life was in danger every constant minute then yes it could be extenuating circumstances.

Sorry, but I can NOT ever feel sorry for the stupid women who put up with abuse!! It always starts when they are dating and when that very first attack happens, get the hell away from that pig NOW! Do NOT believe his lies, do NOT feel sorry for him and do NOT let his tears sway you! IF YOU STAY WITH HIM YOU ARE AN IDIOT and deserve all that is coming to you! When I see idiot women whine and ball their eyes out on talk shows because they are being abused by their men, I want to laugh! Oh boo hoo, they deserve what they get if they are that stupid as far as I am concerned! Once and only once a man hit me but within 2 seconds he found himself thrown in the empty bath tub with a butcher knife at his throat and I said: I won't be so nice next time! If you EVER show up around here again, you WILL be shot right between the eyes, now get the hell out of my house you monster and don't EVER come back! At the opened door, (I slammed my body into his and flung him 20 feet out into the snow)!!! THAT'S how you are to treat men who abuse you!!! And YES, if a woman stays with an abusive man taking his abuse for years and then kills him, oh well, she should be charged with murder just like anyone else who murders someone! Always remember this: If a woman is abused, IT IS (HER) FAULT!

Everyone has the right to defend themselves, why should that change just because the scum is the spouse... or the parent... or the offspring.

I am not sure how I feel on this . I believe that someone who murders should go to jail but on the other hand if it is self defense then they person deserved it and when a woman is being abused everyday that would have to be considered self defense and is even worse when tehre are children involved because this only shows them that violence is what we do when we are mad . So in some cases I agree with this but in other cases I don't .

Well, I think commiting homicide is regard as cruel and inhumane. But we need to look at the whole picture and what actually had happened. There are a lot of thing that can be done to deal with situation like this. For example, she can ask for divorce or get a restraining order. But if there is murder committed, then it should have a fair court case.

They should get a lesser sentence or no sentence nor charges at all. In a kill or get killed situation like that, it is self defense, & a decent lawyer can usually get the battered woman proven not guilty.

Wow...a highly ethical discussion.. From a moral standpoint (I'm not even going to go into the legal standpoint of this issue), I think she is justified. It is self-defence is it not? Sometimes, these women are utterly desperate..their abusers not only harm them physically but emotionally and mentally as well..They batter the women's sense of self and take away every ounce of self-esteem and dignity..many make the victims believe that they actually DESERVE the abuse through various forms of twisted emotional manipulation. Restraining orders? By the time the abusers get through with the victims, most are too scared to even consider them. In less developed countries where males are still allowed supreme authority over their spouses, murder is really the only conceivable escape that the females can take.

Of course, nobody approves the murder including me. The life is sacred. But in fact the human nature has primal instinct to survive. So if somebody threathens my survival and i have no other variants to avoid this threat-i will react primaly as animal in the jungle. Some of theese murders are instinctive, not planned. And later the woman sorries, because she looses much more then usually. She goes to the prison.

I honestly have nothing but sympathy for women who kill a long time abuser. I don't mean someone who is attacked once or twice. I mean someone who is expected to live in that environment and rear chuildren in it. I am surprised more women don't snap. I would give a lesser sentence if I was a judge. I would look for any loophole I could to give the woman and her children their lives back.

well I really don't know what to feel about a situation like that. I guess it would depend on the circumstances! I think if I was in a situation where I am being battered as well as my children, I would probably kill my abuser! I think that if she was being abused at the time of the killing it should be justified as self defense.

No one has the right to kill. However a battered and abused woman should not be punished at all if she did kill. She should be taken care of pyschologically and be brought back to life with hope and love.

samtaylorskykierajen wow I think battered women should get a break as its more or less self defense as if they do not get the ba***rd first he will kill them so call it self defense and let the women get on with their lives.

I feel the exact same way I feel about battered men who kill their abusers! Their abuser deserved it and a zillion times more!

Two wrongs do not make a right, killing the abuser compounds the situation, have reourse to the law, seek a divorce and kill no one.

I do think they should have a lesser sentence. Men who do this should be put into meat grinders. They deserve whatever they get for beating down a woman all the time. As a matter of fact, I think these women should be REWARDED for ridding society of these camotitas.

I think it's understandable when women kill their abusers. If I got abused I'm sure that thought would cross my mind several times a day. It's self defense...YOu can't expect to just have a person take it, but then again, there are always better ways to deal with a conflict then resorting to violence. Why didn't they leave? Because they were too scared? They were too scared to leave but not to kill a man? I think if you're getting abused, then you should find a way out, any way out. Flee the freaking country, who cares. Just get away from this person.

I have experienced abuse and stalking and just prior to relocating was contemplating killing the person doing this and I wasn't in a relationship with the psycho! I do believe that when the victim has utilized all resources available (as I had) to no avail and the situation continues and worsens still sometimes it does take drastic measures to finally stop the abuser and put an end to what no one on this earth should ever live! In my case it was a neighbor, not a real partner (though he claimed we were) and not a family member. With the Grace of God and his timely intervention my house sold just as I reached that point and I was able to move several hundred miles and rebuild a life that had been destroyed for nothing by the very sick creep. If she has done all she can and used all available resources to no avail I don't see how we have the right to judge her and expect she has to allow and accept the abuse continuing on. Would you? I know I won't. I can't. My mental health, my quality of life, nothing was worth that. I lost a lot and still am far better off today after ending that nightmare than I was any day in it.

If a man beat up on his a women he need his a** kicked. If she killed him to bad,he had it coming to him. and the rule is for a women (if there blood on me there going be blood on you!!!)

good day...This is a controversial type of question but law should be uphold. Battered woman should be the given leniency in their case but on the other side it should also be proven that the incident happened in self defense.