You are a defense attorney. Your client is 30-year-old Francine Hughes. The client was recently indicted on charges of first-degree murder and murder while perpetrating another crime. On the date in question, Francine’s husband, Mickey Hughes, intoxicated at the time, berated Francine about her decision to attend a community college, and refused to allow her to cook dinner for her four children. Mickey burned Francine’s school books, physically assaulted his wife, and forced her to have sex with him. When Francine was able to make dinner for her children, Mickey swept the plates to the ground with his arm and physically forced Francine to clean up the mess. After the mess was cleaned up, Mickey dumped the trash contents to the floor and forced Francine to clean up the mess all over again. Later that night, Mickey passed out, intoxicated, on the bed in their bedroom. Francine then told her children to go out and wait for her in the car. She then spread gasoline on and around the bed and lit the gasoline, burning her husband and killing him. Police and court records contained evidence of domestic violence perpetrated against Francine by Mickey over a 13-year period of time.
Let’s review two concepts before you make a decision about this scenario.
In the 1970s and 1980s activists were able to replace a victim “blaming” narrative about domestic violence with a victim “defending” narrative. Which of these is NOT one of the themes that helped produce the shift?
declining economic conditions as the root cause of domestic violence
a definition of domestic violence as a social problem
the victim of domestic violence not deserving or provoking abuse
a focus on the consequences of domestic violence