Intimate Partner Violence and the Justice System: An Examination of the Interface

Because the defendant and victim had an intimate relationship with each other, the defendant, and therefore the defense attorney, has substantially more knowledge about the victim compared to cases in which the defendant and victim are not intimately acquainted. Thus, the defense has a great deal more "ammunition" available to discredit the victim's testimony during trial. (Hartley, 2003, p. 415).