Battered Person Syndrome in Court

On Wednesday, we'll be watching a film about the use of the battered woman defense in court. The film, Abused, tells the story of Susan Greenberg. The library entry for the film is here, but it won't be available until after class on Wednesday. But I'd like for you to think about this story, too. It is the story of Mr. Hassan and his battered person defense. Mr. Hassan is accused of beheading his wife after they decided to divorce. For background information, see this New York Times account of the story. His attorney used "battered person syndrome" as an explanation of his self-defense claim. Here is a news account of Hassan's defense:



After deliberating for less than an hour, the jury found him guilty. He was subsequently sentenced to life in prison by the trial court judge, but is likely to appeal the verdict. This case has led to a couple of legal innovations in New York. These innovations are intended to prevent domestic violence, mostly against women. They were inspired not by Hassan as "victim" (as his defense claimed), but as perpetrator of the murder of his wife. First, a new Integrated Domestic Violence Court was created to try to keep non-lethal "warning signal" events in the court system. A second innovation is a new law taking away the murderous spouse's right to the victim's remains.