Citation

Chaleby K. Arab J. Psychiatr. 2003; 14(1): 1-9.

Copyright

(Copyright © 2003, Arab Federation of Psychiatrists)

DOI

unavailable

PMID

unavailable

Abstract

This paper deals with the legal implications related to the state of mind of the wife involved one condition. This condition is a proven emotional and/or physical abuse of that woman. In the west it is less likely for a wife to kill her husband if they were found with a lover because the legal channels of obtaining a divorce for women in the Western culture are relatively easy. That leaves abuse as probably the most common reason for a Western woman to kill her husband. When the motive of killing is related to issues other than abuse there is little role for forensic psychiatry to play discounting insanity plead. Battered Woman Syndrome involves a woman who has been physically, sexually, or seriously psychologically abused by a man in an intimate relationship in order to coerce her into what he wants her to do. They see the abuser is after them wherever they go. Escaping would only provoke the abuser to inflict more harm. Trauma-induced psychiatric syndromes may be used to support the defense of justification. BWS may be utilized to explain two components of self-defense claims.