d rebuild their lives. The Country of Germany, unlike the U.S., has taken the necessary steps to unsure that battered women have a fair chance to defend themselves. Germany undertook this reform to help battered women, and the courts, better understand the imminence and excessive force elements of self-defense. The first major problem facing abused women is that most of these women can not adequately defend themselves without a weapon. Most battered women use some type of weapon to protect themselves from their attackers and are blamed for using excessive force. The second problem facing abused women is that the danger they perceive is not imminent. Many women who attack their abusers do not do so when the danger is immediately present. These very important elements must be proven if a woman is to be acquitted of the charges (Dubin, 11-12). In order to deal with the excessive force problem, Germany has created a statute (Strafgetzbuch) that allows excessive force under certain conditions. The Strafgesetzbuch states that, “If the actor exceeds the limits of self-defense because of confusion, fear, or fright [s]he is not to be punished" (qtd. on 12). This statute allows the woman to be completely acquitted. Although the law requires the woman to be in situation that would justify the use of self-defense, it does not punish her for perceiving the situation wrong and overreacting. This defense, if adopted by the U.S., would allow abused women who kill their attackers to be acquitted (12). Germany has also helped battered women by providing a more liberal view on the imminent danger element of self-defense. The German legislature has come to recognize that imminent danger need not be immediate to pose a substantial threat. This logical assertion has brought Germany to take a deeper look at what imminent danger means and how it is applied. German courts have concluded that a perceived danger only needs to be intermittent,...
