Battered woman syndrome and female delinquency

In this paper, the experiences of lawyers representing women who killed or seriously injured their abusive spouses/intimate partners in litigations where the battered woman syndrome was partially discussed were evaluated together with their views on violence against women. The reasons why women who have been subjected to long-term systematic violence cannot leave the relationship in which they are abused are examined in terms of social, individual, and psychological dimensions, and the approach of the criminal justice system to these women is discussed.Within the scope, first, definitions of female delinquency, approaches of traditional criminology and modern criminology to female delinquency are evaluated. Feminist criminology's criticisms against traditional criminology and modern criminology have been examined in terms of female delinquency, Feminist Pathways Theory developed by feminist criminologists considering women's specific conditions have been evaluated. By giving general information about the situational offender which is one of the themes in the feminist pathways theory, its relationship with the battered woman syndrome, which is a post-traumatic stress disorder, and criminal behaviour has been evaluated. Then, how women afflicted with battered woman syndrome are evaluated in the criminal justice system is examined.