As someone who has had close female friends suffer domestic abuse and one who has just escaped from an extremely abusive relationship and is now mentally traumatised by it (to exent of being scared of men even in public places, nightmares, panic attacks etc etc) I can only hope and pray that your patient gets the help she deserves and needs. I'm personally in favour of the mandatory arrest and charging without the victim needing to make a statement. I don't agree with violence in any form but do feel that blokes like that who physically, mentally and sometimes sexual abuse partners do deserve to get some of their own methods used on them, or maybe six months in a small cell with a nice big cell mate who wants a "special friend".