
Representing victims of attempted parental homicide and child abuse
■ Case Overview This case is an unfortunate domestic incident in which the defendant was charged with attempted murder and child abuse against his spouse and child. The accused was driven to extreme behavior by ongoing domestic conflict and psychological instability, which resulted in physical and psychological harm to the client (victim) and her children. During the incident, the defendant used deadly tools such as dumbbells and a kitchen knife to seriously injure the client, and his child was traumatized by witnessing the violent scene. After the incident, the client and his family sought legal assistance in hopes of restoring their family through treatment and rehabilitation rather than punishing the defendant. ■ Case Issues The issues in this case were whether the defendant's actions could be recognized as attempted murder with lesser intent, the circumstances of child abuse where the child was traumatized by witnessing the violent scene, and whether the client did not want to be punished.