Anne wrote: "and I often wonder if the victim ever gets arrested out of fear of acknowledging the accuser." Yes, yes, yes. I was a victim advocate at a DV shelter. OMG I remember one woman, about our age. She came in on a Monday morning, black and blue, and swollen, and limping. She had spent the night in jail. On the Sunday before, her boyfriend had been beating her, and she was able to get to the phone. When the cops came, the boyfriend was such a good charming talker and manipulator that he had the cops believing it was her fault. Apparently he showed the officer a tiny pinch mark she had made on his arm. She was so victimized, silent, hurt, confused, that she was not able to speak up for herself, so she went to jail. I am so thankful that she had the presence of mind to come to the shelter the next morning. Oh, it was someone in the criminal justice system that told her about the shelter during the victim's overnight stay.