Opinion | Self-defense laws ought to protect victims of domestic violence

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Sometimes, the vulnerable must use violence to survive. When they do, U.S. law should not treat them as criminals.

One U.S. study found women are twice as likely as men to be convicted of a crime after claiming self-defense; the odds are even worse for a woman of color.

Women are asked why they did not leave an abuser, why they were an imperfect victim or why they did not seek help from the police or courts — institutions that failed to protect them in the first place.

These cases should be treated as self-defense.

Source: Opinion | Self-defense laws ought to protect victims of domestic violence – The Washington Post