| We hear about it and see it on the news routinely: | | | | a heinous crime as in the case of intimate partner |
| "Man kills woman."..."It was an accident." | | | | homicide. The specific abusive behavior may erupt |
| An accident is a defense, not a description of | | | | out of a dispute between two intimate partners, or |
| domestic violence. Domestic abuse is never an | | | | may emerge out of the perpetrator's perception of |
| accident. Now of course one may say, "I didn't know | | | | their not getting their way. |
| she was going to die when I beat her to death." | | | | Like an accident, it is always unfortunate because |
| But that's not the point. The minute you violate | | | | someone is being violated, compromised and hurt. |
| another person verbally, emotionally or physically, | | | | The only blessings it can bring are when the victim |
| domestic violence is in play and so is the crime being | | | | gets away...before it spirals out of control. |
| committed. | | | | Domestic Violence Strikes Again Without |
| Abusers and their defense attorneys take the | | | | Responsibility |
| "accident" defense, because it is all they have when | | | | Defense attorneys have a job to defend their clients |
| the perpetrator, victim and incident are known. The | | | | whether they have committed the crime in question |
| accident card is the only thing left for them to stand | | | | or not. The defendant has a constitutional right to a |
| behind in their effort to lessen the consequences. | | | | defense. Most people know this and appreciate this |
| The Anatomy of an Accident | | | | fact. |
| An accident is something that happened without | | | | However, let it be known that as we provide a |
| being planned, without being premeditated. It's often | | | | defense for domestic violence, we send a message |
| avoided by other actions and reactions being | | | | to the perpetrator and to those looking in that |
| taken...and may or may not be predicted. | | | | domestic violence can be an accident. The implication |
| It's always unfortunate when it happens, and in some | | | | is that the perpetrator is not responsible for his |
| cases the accident that occurred can be a blessing in | | | | violent abusive behavior. And until full responsibility is |
| disguise. This, of course, depends on the | | | | assumed, domestic violence will strike again. |
| outcome—that is the accident casualties. | | | | Now, I realize that putting forth such a defense is |
| An accident usually carries with it a lesson that | | | | not so simple, but to the masses a simple lesson is |
| awakens those involved, as well as bystanders | | | | learned. And this lesson teaches abusers that they |
| looking in. The lesson teaches how to avoid such an | | | | are not responsible for the outcome of their |
| accident again. | | | | violations toward their victim. It teaches that the |
| The Anatomy of Domestic Violence | | | | outcome of their violence is out of their hands. |
| Domestic violence is a violation of one person | | | | If you are watching news of an intimate partner |
| over-powering another person. The actual violation is | | | | homicide, be mindful to separate criminal law from |
| the execution of the "action"..."behavior" that serves | | | | personal responsibility when domestic violence is in |
| to disempower and control the victim. | | | | play. |
| It can be subtle, as it most commonly is, or it can be | | | | |