Quote:
Originally posted by Tyrone Slothrop
Why do you need to criminalize domestic violence, as opposed to charging someone with (e.g.) assault or battery? Not making any kind of argument here -- I'd like to know.
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My guess, without looking into it further, is that people who live with each other generally have to, er, live with each other. There's often a power differential where one party is dependant on the other for food, shelter, etc, and the state wants to discourage violence between the parties. Certainly, the abused party could (and probably should) relocate, but often that's a financial, emotional or practical impossibility. If some random person on the street beats the shit out of you, you're in a much better position to stay away from that person in the future. If your spouse does it, your options are more limited.
