Die stille Gewalt

Violence against women is one of the most pressing issues of our time, and it has significantly worsened in recent years. One in four women experiences violence in their partnership at some point in their lives; we can be quite certain that we all know both victims and perpetrators within our circles of acquaintances and friends. Asha Hedayati is a family law attorney who repeatedly encounters the fact that state structures not only fail to adequately protect women from violence but are even part of a violent system themselves. Domestic violence is like a blind spot for family courts, police, and youth welfare offices, particularly in custody and visitation proceedings. In her book, Hedayati describes how this practice operates, leaving the affected women alone, and points out what needs to change for the relevant institutions to truly provide the protection they should.