Board Thread:General Discussion/@comment-25926288-20151019010334/@comment-27094327-20151019061407

You know, what you mention is a real problem in such cases, though:  "So Mrs. Camelot, let me understand, you say your husband raped you, but you still sleep in the same bed as him, are affectionate with him, and are still happily married?" "Yep." "I rest my case, your honor."

I doubt someone in an abusive relationship would describe themselves as happily married in a proceeding that they presumably initiated. However, the rest can be a big problem. Juries may reason that if they were in a similar situation, they would leave, forgetting that circumstances and temperament vary greatly. In fact, as much as a quarter of all rapes may be marital, so it may not be an uncommon phenomenon.