Battered Women's Syndrome

Battered Women’s Syndrome 25th October 2006
Battered Women’s Syndrome

Battered woman syndrome (more commonly called “BWS” or “Intimate Partner Abuse and its Effects”) describes a pattern of psychological and behavioral symptoms found in women living in abusive relationships. (BWS occurs in same-sex relationships, and men can suffer from “BWS,” but the overwhelming amount of research in the area has focused upon the female sufferer.) Typically, BWS falls under the category of post-traumatic stress disorder. There are four general characteristics of Battered Women’s Syndrome:

1. The fear that her life and/or her children`s lives are in danger;
2. An inability to place the responsibility for the violence elsewhere;
3. The belief that the violence was her fault;
4. An irrational belief that the abuser is omniscient and omnipresent.

If your partner does not have these symptoms, chances are great that she does not suffer from BWS. An experienced criminal defense lawyer will show that your partner could not suffer from BWS because of the absence of one or more symptoms. He or she may show this through medical reports, police reports, witness testimony or even expert witness testimony.

In order to be diagnosed with battered women’s syndrome a person must experience at least two complete battering cycles. The cycle has three distinct phases: the tension-building phase, followed by the violent incident, followed by the “make-up” or “honeymoon” phase. If there have not been two cycles, the person cannot be diagnosed with the syndrome. If relevant to your case, your attorney will try to prove that your partner could not possibly be a victim of BWS.

Experts. The criminal case is a war. The prosecutors want to prove that you are guilty of domestic violence. They will try anything and everything in their power to make sure that you are convicted of the charges brought against you.

To that end, they will often attempt to offer “expert” testimony regarding Battered Women’s Syndrome. These experts are used particularly when your partner recants his or her story. If there is recantation, the prosecution will likely bring in an expert on BWS who will say that recanting a story is a major symptom of this syndrome. The expert has likely never met the complaining witness in your case. In fact, the expert probably has no knowledge of your partner’s mental health history (if any). This means that, without knowing anything about your partner, the expert will say that your partner suffers from BWS. As you may imagine, this is a horrible situation for your case. If the expert can convince the jurors that your partner suffers from BWS, there is only one person who can be responsible: you.

All hope is not lost, though. There are specific rules that must be followed before an expert’s testimony can be heard in court. A skilled defense attorney may be able to prevent the expert’s testimony from being admitted in your case. In addition, your attorney may choose to present testimony from a defense expert to refute the prosecution’s expert or to present evidence that you were the injured party.

Battered Women’s Syndrome as a Defense. Battered Women’s Syndrome is a serious medical issue. If you believe that you are suffering from the syndrome, it is important to tell your lawyer. Your attorney may bring in experts to prove that you suffer from the syndrome and to offer opinions about how that relates to the charged offense. If it can be proved that you suffer from Battered Women’s Syndrome, this may be a valid defense to the domestic violence charges pending against you.

BWS is a complex issue, and it plays a potentially significant role in domestic violence cases. If you or someone you care about has been accused of domestic violence, or any crime of violence, it is vital that you consult with a skilled and experienced criminal defense lawyer right away.

Source: http://www.articlealley.com/article_96054_18.html

  [ Read more... ]

Actualise your fantasies with unsecured loans

Actualise your fantasies with unsecured loans 09th March 2006

You have been dreaming a lot for your marriage since a long time. You just fantasize the way you will dress up in your marriage, about the way you arrange the wedding ceremony, about those special dishes that will be served to the guests, about the glittering wedding ring you will put into the finger of your spouse, about the dream honeymoon you would spend in a remote island and so on. There is no end to fantasies. But, to realise your dreams you should have enough resources. And, ironically your marriage is at hand and you fall short of funds. What will you do in such a situation? It`s very simple. Take an unsecured loan.

UNSECURED LOANS are those loans that are sanctioned without the guarantee of any collateral. The creditor grants you loan just on the basis of your income and repayment capacity. So the creditor takes high risk while giving you an unsecured loan. On the other hand you are at minimum risk as you are free from any possibility of repossession of your home.

Since unsecured loans are risky for lenders they charge a bit higher rate of interest from you. The monthly installments are also bigger and the repayment duration is shorter as compared to secured loans. But, on the flip side unsecured loans are free from the hassles of valuation of property and voluminous paper work attached with it. This is why the approval of unsecured loans is faster than that of secured loans.

There are a number of finance companies that provide unsecured loans on competitive rates. So. If you want to avail an unsecured loan you have to research a bit and find out the right deal, which fits best to you. You can do it on the Internet by surfing a few useful websites. Once you find a suitable deal, you just have to fill up an online loan application form. There are many lenders that provide quick online unsecured loans in a time span as short as 72 hours.

Source: http://www.articlealley.com/article_34468_19.html

  [ Read more... ]