Intimate partner homicide and DV victims: A case for compassionate sentencing

Abstract

This article examines compassionate sentencing as a model of therapeutic jurisprudence. More specifically, it makes the case for the use of compassionate sentencing as a method for the criminal justice system to better respond to cases of domestic violence victims who kill their abusive partners. By applying a discourse analysis to two case studies, I illustrate the nature and benefits of a compassionate approach to sentencing. Namely, ensuring individualised justice, increasing the therapeutic potential of the law and contributing to more nuanced social constructions of domestic violence.