𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐬𝐚𝐲: "𝐢𝐧𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐞𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐝 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐩𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐜𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐪𝐮𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐲 𝐬𝐮𝐛𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐚𝐭𝐞; 𝐫𝐮𝐦𝐨𝐫."
NEW YORK, 1967
It's 1967 and Margot Murdock's life is falling apart. I...
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CW: Discussions of domestic violence and violence against women, discussions of murder, discussions of PTSD and the "use" of the "battered spousal syndrome" as a legal defense. There's no smut in this chapter, and I'm fully prepared for reads and engagement to tank a little, but it was a fun chapter to write even if it's short <3
And yes, I changed Yelena to Peggy.
Paint smut will be next chapter from James's POV.
NOTE: In the 60s, there was nothing like battered spouse syndrome as a defense. That term didn't come about until 1979 when Lenore E. Walker proposed the concept of "battered women's syndrome." Walker used Seligman's theory of "learned helplessness" to explain why abused women stay in relationships.
There are feminist scholars like myself who think that battered women's syndrome pathologizes women and pathologizes their crime. Pathologizing means that it makes women's crime a disease rather than something that arises out of a structure like the patriarchy or capitalism which is all interlinked with crime and explains the majority of crimes.
ANYWAY, some other critiques feminist scholars have made regarding battered women's syndrome is that it does not take into account women's extensive and individualized trauma, and that it creates stereotypes around "the perfect victim" and how women "should" react to trauma. It argues that women should be meek and demure as victims of abuse and never fight back, so when a woman does, she is "abnormal".
However, despite the academic critiques, battered spouse syndrome is still used as a legal defense in Canada and the US.
Okay, I'm done. Sorrysorrysorry - Once I get talking about criminology, I kinda can't stop. If you have questions about this stuff or criminology in general, feel free to ask! I'll do my best to answer and if I don't know the answer, I can direct you to resources to learn more about it!
MARGOT
Manhattan Detention Complex, aka, "The Tombs"
Manhattan, NY
June 4, 1967
The interrogation room is freezing in this jail. The whole building is cold, actually. It's an unusual contrast to the beautiful weather outside. I shiver and turn to him.
"When is she getting here?"
"Soon." He checks his watch. "After count, which is at 12:30."
"Count, what's count?" I ask.
James smiles at me and goes to reach for me to tuck a strand of hair behind my ear, but then thinks better of it. He let me know that we're being watched everywhere in this prison, and every single guard knows my brother. They were already suspicious when James showed up in Matt's place. It didn't stop me from wanting to reach for his hand as we walked down the hallway to the interrogation room.
