Fact Sheets

Parole | J. Lo's Enough (offsite link) | Battered Woman Syndrome
Did you know that...? | Incarcerated Survivors

Did you know that...?

Every nine seconds a woman in the United States is battered.

There are hundreds of women in California incarcerated for killing their abusers.

Some Facts on Domestic Violence

• Six million women are beaten by their husbands or boyfriends each year in the U.S; 1,500 of them die.
• In the U.S., a woman is more likely to be assaulted, injured, raped, or killed by a male partner than any other type of assailant.
• Battering is the number one cause of injury to women in the U.S. Attacks by husbands on wives result in more injuries requiring medical treatment than rapes, muggings, and auto accidents combined.
• Eight million children are affected by domestic violence each year.
• Domestic violence occurs among all races and socioeconomic groups.

Battered women attempting to leave abusive relationship are often attacked and threatened with murder or violence. Some endure violence because they feel responsible for keeping the family together or protecting their children. Women and their children may also be economically dependant and feel unable to survive on their own.

Battered women who resort to homicide have often tried repeatedly and unsuccessfully to obtain protection from their abusers. The same legal system that often fails (or refuses) to protect battered women prosecutes them vigorously when they fight back in self-defense.

Battered Women Who Kill in Self-Defense:

• Have likely suffered frequent and severe abuse
• Are often survivors of brutal sexual assault
• Were frequently threatened with death, especially if they attempted to leave
• Were often caught and beaten when they left their abuser

Many battered women in California were convicted before courts formally recognized the relevance of evidence of battering and its effects (commonly referred to as Battered Women’s Syndrome). It was not until January 1st, 1992, that the California Legislature passed a law acknowledging the importance of testimony on battering and its effects. There is still little education provided to juries, judges, attorneys, or the public about battering and its effects.

In 2002, California legislation was passed that enables some women convicted of killing their abuser prior to 1992 to file writs of habeas corpus because testimony on battering and its effects was not included during their original trial. Unfortunately, this new law is only in effect until 2005. See Penal Code §1473.5.