You may have seen movies in which a woman is being battered by her husband, yet she can’t get help from law enforcement because her husband is a police officer himself.
This type of scenario doesn’t only happen in movies; it actually happens in real life more often than you may realize.
This might lead you to wonder what percentage of cops beat their wives.
As many as 40% of cops beat their wives, according to statistics. You are likely to feel that this is an alarming number because society is taught to rely on the police to keep them safe, but if they’re beating their own wives, how can they be trusted to keep the public safe?
Here is a complete overview of some additional statistics on this topic, as well as some other interesting facts.
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Why do so many cops beat their wives?
Many men are attracted to positions of authority, as it makes them feel important and inflates their egos.
However, some male officers allow the power to go to their heads, which can cause them to desire to control everything-including their wives.
Some male police officers believe that hitting their wives is simply a way to keep the wife in line, which men often feel is their duty.
Are cops who beat their wives sociopaths?
Many cops who beat their wives are, in fact, sociopaths.
Sociopaths are attracted to positions of power because they like the fact that certain positions enable them to exert their power – even when it’s inappropriate.
Sociopathic police officers thrive off the power that they get from their position. Many feel invincible and as if they can get away with anything.
Do cops ever get away with murder?
Unfortunately, cops get away with murder all the time. Many have friends in the force that will cover for them, which can make it easier for the cop to get away with killing someone.
Other cops that are able to get away with murder have hired attorneys that were good enough at their jobs to successfully get the cops off by embellishing stories, making it seem as if the murder was in self-defense, and in some situations, through false testimonies from “witnesses.”
What can a battered wife of a cop do for help?
It is true that a battered wife of a law enforcement officer has fewer options than a battered wife whose husband isn’t a cop, but it doesn’t mean that she has to continue to undergo beatings.
A wife can try going to a precinct outside the one that her husband works at and report the abuse.
The wife could also go the route that many other battered women go and seek out the assistance of a domestic violence shelter. But being a cop, her husband might have the means to find her there a lot easier.
Many battered wives plan to escape their abusive police officer husbands, and some will save up money over time before making their move.
However, some battered cop’s wives have been threatened so badly by their husbands that they’re afraid to even attempt to leave.
Are some battered cop’s wives so afraid that they remain in miserable marriages?
Yes, some battered cop wives are so afraid that they will remain in their miserable marriages indefinitely.
This is sad because being battered by someone who has vowed to protect and love you is an obvious atrocity.
It’s easy for many people to understand why a stranger might physically attack a woman, but for her own husband – who is a respected member of the community – to beat her is unforgivable in most people’s eyes.
Three top reasons battered wives remain in their marriages
Aside from being scared, there are three main reasons why battered women remain in their marriages, and the first one is because of finances.
Many abusive husbands go out of their way to become the breadwinners of the family, forcing their wives to rely on them for money. If a woman doesn’t earn her own money, she will be less likely to leave her husband, no matter how abusive he is.
Another main reason why battered wives remain in their marriage is due to their children.
Either they’re afraid that they won’t be able to care for the children alone, or their husbands have threatened them and stated that if they try to leave with the children, they will kill her.
Husbands in some cases have also threatened to gain full custody of the children if the woman leaves.
A third reason that many battered wives remain in their marriages is that, despite the beatings, they still love their husbands.
This might be difficult for many people to believe, but it is very true in some situations.
Some battered women do eventually leave, but this is often after many years of abuse.
Are there any cases in which a woman has killed her abusive cop husband?
There are actually more cases than people are aware of involving women who kill their abusive cop husbands than many people realize.
In fact, if you have ever watched any of the true-crime stories on TV, you may have seen episodes of certain shows that described how battered cop wives ended up killing their husbands.
Women in these situations often kill their husbands in retaliation after many years of domestic abuse that finally caused them to reach their breaking point.
Do most women get acquitted of murdering their husbands if they can prove she was battered?
If the woman’s husband was a cop, then it might be more difficult for her to get acquitted of murder.
First of all, it’s a lot less likely that a battered cop’s wife will call the police after being beaten by her husband.
This is often due to the fact that she knows her husband wouldn’t be arrested because of his position and it might result in her undergoing an even worse beating.
So, unless friends and family were able to somehow document the beatings, or there were hospital records from the times when her wounds were severe enough to necessitate medical treatment, then it might be pretty impossible to prove that she was ever beaten.
Furthermore, the deceased husband likely had many allies in the police force who would want to “seek justice” for the wife murdering him.
There have been cases in which women have been acquitted of murdering their husbands who weren’t cops, as women are often able to be acquitted more often in non-cop cases.
Are there ever any situations in which cops accidentally or purposefully kill their wives?
Anytime there is violence present, it always increases the possibility of someone being killed accidentally.
There have been cases in which a male cop has both purposefully and accidentally killed his wife.
This is another scenario that you might see a story about on one of the many true-crime TV shows.
Any time a cop kills his wife, he has a much easier time being acquitted of the murder than if she killed him instead.
Is there such a thing as female cops beating their husbands?
There is such a thing as women beating their husbands, although it doesn’t occur very often, or it is simply not talked about as much.
When it comes to female cops beating their husbands, it’s not that it never occurs, but there just aren’t many statistics about it.
For whatever reason, when men are victims of abuse, they are also quite embarrassed about it and so they never report it. The violence usually continues in silence.
Do batterers ever change?
Sure, some batterers change, but not very many of them. The first step to change is to acknowledge that making a change is necessary.
However, most batterers, whether they work in law enforcement or not, are not going to readily admit that they have a problem, as many feel it’s their right to beat their wives.
How to stop cops from battering their wives
If you know of a cop who beats his wife, then you need to report the crime.
Even if you do so anonymously, you should report each and every incident that you’re aware of or witness.
You will not be able to stop all cops from beating their wives, but even if you’re only successful at helping one battered cop’s wife, then you’ve done your part to help reduce incidents of this horrible crime.
How are some batterers able to appear so normal and friendly?
Many batterers often have two personalities. The first is the nice, normal personality that makes everyone love him and think that he’s incapable of committing such a horrendous and cowardly crime.
The second personality is when he flies into a rage and becomes a monster as he beats and demeans his wife.
Batterers know how to put on a front when they need to, and they know to wait until they’re behind closed doors to become the monster that they become when they beat their wives.
If you’ve ever heard of the serial killer Ted Bundy, then you have probably learned that Ted Bundy was very charming and good-looking and that he had a great personality.
No one would have ever suspected him of being a horrible serial killer simply by looking at him or having a conversation with him.
As you can see, there is a large percentage of male cops that beat their wives, which is a startling statistic.
Many women who are battered by their cop husbands never report the crimes for fear of not being taken seriously because of their husband’s position.
It’s sad for the women and the innocent children that are involved in such situations, and hopefully, these women will someday find the strength to fight back, so these violent, often sociopathic men, can be held accountable for their horrific and inexcusable behavior.
