NCJ Number
96241
Date Published
1984
Length
157 pages
Annotation
The processing of wife assault cases through the criminal justice system in London, Ontario, is described.
Abstract
Between January and June of 1979, 222 females reported assaults or threatened assaults by their partners or ex-partners. These women had been assaulted an average of 35 times before 1979. Sixty-six percent of those interviewed attributed the assaults to their partner's drinking or his emotional/psychiatric problems. In 50 percent of the cases, the male resorted to kicking, biting, or hitting the woman with his fist. Twenty-one percent of the victims received injuries visible to the police and were recorded by the officers; however, only 17 percent were advised to seek medical treatment. Despite the seriousness of many of these assaults, police brought charges in only 3 percent of the cases. In 62 percent of the cases, victims were advised to press charges themselves. In most of the cases that went to court, charges were either dismissed or withdrawn. Only half of the females were satisfied with the police intervention; of those who went to court, half were satisfied with the justice of the peace's response, and 31 percent were satisfied with the crown attorney's intervention. These findings led to the following recommendations for an effective, integrated community response: (1) improve public and professional education about wife assault, (2) establish a self-help group for batterers, and (3) establish a victim advocacy service. Two figures, 15 tables, and 16 appendixes are included.