People of the Philippines v. Marivic Genosa, G.R. No. 135981 (2004)

Marivic Genosa admitted that she killed her husband after a quarrel in their house and was sentenced to death in 1998. Genosa appealed her sentence, claiming she acted in self-defense as a victim of battered woman syndrome (BWS). The appeal posited that the consistent abuse Genosa faced at the hands of her husband had caused BWS, which meant that she was in a constantly threatened state and acted in self-defense when she killed him. The Supreme Court ruled that as a victim of BWS, her husband’s cumulative provocation had broken down her self-control and made the murder an act of passion. The Court repealed Genosa’s death sentence and released her in consideration of her six years already spent in prison. Importantly, this is a landmark case in acknowledging the deep psychological impact that abusive relationships have on women. Setting a legal precedent that the impact of recurring domestic abuse is an extenuating and real circumstance, the Supreme Court promoted a stronger legal recognition of, and protection for, abused women.

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  • 2004

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