New Zealand Law Journal 1997 : 436-438

This article examines battered woman syndrome (BWS) and its relevance as a defence in legal cases. The author describes BWS as a subtype of post traumatic stress disorder, and how this can lead to 'learned helplessness'. Examples of cases where BWS has been used as evidence in a woman's defence are provided. The author argues that it may be pertinent for jurors and judges to have knowledge of BWS in order to understand why some women fail to leave violent relationships. However, often the difficulty lies in providing evidence of this contextual information imperative to understanding the specificities of each case.