Yes, she had a motive, she was abused. But what are all the facts of the case? Did she lie in her testimony? Why was she repeatedly denied clemency? Did she really suffer from BWS? On a side note, her own trial attorney, Theodora Poloynis-Engen, admitted that she thinks she did not suffer from BWS (Hastings, 1993).

One has to ask these questions because BWS is seen as an excuse to justify and rationalize violence. And to a society that promotes the principle that violence is not (never) the answer, the idea that violence can be permissible under certain conditions is a subversive force that can lead to a slippery slope of tolerance to, and acceptance of, violent acts. Sin by Silence does not investigate these larger implications in enough detail, then again, and maybe it doesn't need to. Its main message is clear enough, silence in the face of...
[ View Full Essay]