The Battered Spouse Defense

Type: Concept

As of November 2026, The Battered Spouse Defense has been mentioned in one podcast episode on TRUE CRIME Loser (Aug 2024). Sarah seeks an expert to support a battered spouse defense; the host argues it is implausible and emphasizes the need for expert testimony to pursue it.

Battered woman syndrome (BWS) is a pattern of signs and symptoms displayed by a woman who has suffered persistent intimate partner violence—psychological, physical, or sexual—from her partner. Although the diagnosis has mainly centered on women, it has occasionally been applied to men when employing the term battered person syndrome, especially as part of a legal defense. It is classified in the ICD-11 and the ICD-9 as battered person syndrome, but is not in the DSM-5.