Battered Woman Syndrome and the Law on Self-Defense

Abstract

In order to obtain a greater understanding of battered women and the legal system, this paper provides a brief situationer on women's rights, violence in the home, and legal remedies available under civil and criminal statutes. The paper then presents the concept of battered woman syndrome, its nature and elements, and how it has been used in law.
The main objective of this paper is to be able to contribute to the greater understanding of abused women, the situations they face and how the legal system can help in their plight.