Abstract
There has been no model of the relevant information that forensic experts should collect from battered women defendants for testifying in court in support of self-defense claims. This article proposes such a model, addressing the mental state of battered women at the time they killed their partners. Many killings of partners by battered women should be considered appropriate for self-defense claims, even when the fact situations do not appear to fit "classic" self-defense criteria. Forensic experts have an important role in bringing jurors to an understanding of how many battered womens' actions resulting in the death of a partner actually fit self-defense laws by explaining the fit between the facts of the case and the typical criteria of self-defense.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 165-178 |
Number of pages | 14 |
Journal | Applied and Preventive Psychology |
Volume | 5 |
Issue number | 3 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - 1996 |
Keywords
- Battered women and self-defense
- Battered women defendants
- Forensic evaluations
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Applied Psychology
- Public Health, Environmental and Occupational Health