Sure it's not a directive from a state official to send an abused woman back to an abusive spouse. But that's the point, it's a state official. Supposedly, a representative of the law acting in a way which (by the general consensus here) appears to be against the very institution they are supposed to be serving.
In australia, years back we had a massive boil over when a judge threw out a rape case because quote:
"sometimes no means yes."*
The verdict was overturned and justice was, ultimately, served, but that's not the point. The point was that a person, entrusted with making legal judgements, was exercising very little judgement and running contrary to the law itself in handing out a seemingly incomprehensible verdict.
*At least I think that's what went on, the quote is genuine however |
