A Vermont woman, Keziah Bascombe, told Senior Magistrate Rickie Burnett that she wants her husband’s repeated abuse of her to stop. In this case that came before the Kingstown Magistrate’s Court on Monday highlights some of their reasons why people stay in abusive relationships, especially when the abuser is the breadwinner in the home. Keziah Bascombe said she did not want him to go to prison, not even for one week.
According to Mrs. Bascombe’s account, her husband, David Bascombe, has abused her repeatedly for years, including over the 15 years that they have been married. She decided to follow through on the case filed in connection with his abuse in April, which left her hospitalised after her husband pushed her to the ground, causing her to hit her chest and head and lose consciousness.
Mrs. Bascombe told the court that even before they got married, Mr. Bascombe continually ill-treated her, and now treats her as if he does not love her. “People don’t treat animals like how he does treat me,” said the woman who speaks as if she has a speech impairment.
The woman said that after her husband pushed her down, she had “12 drips connected to her”, a reference to being given fluids intravenously in hospital.
“You are taking all that abuse and telling me not to punish him. Listen to me, he will kill you!” the magistrate told the woman.
Mrs. Bascombe told the court that her husband cannot be trusted, adding that their daughter is closer to him than to her.
She said that after the incident, her husband sent their daughter to ask her to forgive him.
“That is not husband and wife approach. That is for cat and dog,” she said.
