#DomesticViolence #RelationshipIssues #LegalAdvice
Hey everyone! I’m in a pretty tough spot and would love your thoughts on something that’s been weighing on me. So, here’s the backstory:
After discovering that my wife, whom I’ve been with for 4 years, was heavily flirting with another man—let’s just say the conversation took a really uncomfortable turn. The guy literally asked her, “What would your husband do if he caught me sleeping with his wife?” and her response was, “We haven’t even slept together yet.” 😳
Long story short, I decided to end things, figuring she’d be relieved to pursue this relationship free from guilt. But instead, she spun a tale to her family that I was abusive. Fast forward to me getting confronted by her cousin, who accused me of being a woman beater. When I tried to walk away, he hit me from behind, and I ended up with a chipped tooth, bruises, and a concussion. I spent 3 days in the hospital because of this, and during that time, my wife texted me saying, “I didn’t mean for this to happen.”
Now, I’m pressing charges against her cousin, but here’s my question: **Can I also hold my wife accountable legally since her lies led to this assault?** 🙁
**Why Does This Happen?**
- 💔 **Miscommunication:** Often, misunderstandings can spiral out of control in relationships.
- 🛑 **Manipulation:** Some individuals might resort to lies to gain sympathy or control.
- ⚖️ **Legal Loopholes:** It can be frustrating to find out who is liable in situations fueled by deceit.
**Possible Solutions:**
- ✨ **Seek Professional Advice:** Consult with a legal expert about your options.
- 💬 **Communicate Openly:** If safe, talk to close friends or family about what happened for support.
- 📝 **Document Everything:** Keep records of incidents and communications as legal proof.
I’d really appreciate any input or experiences you might have regarding legal actions in similar situations. Have you ever dealt with deceit leading to physical harm? What did you do? 🤔 Let’s discuss!
Unless your ex-wife told her cousin to assault you the chances of her having any criminal liability here are so slim as to be off the table.
If you have solid proof your wife saying that you abused her then you could claim that it was slander. Her cousin could testify against her to prove that his assault was not unprovoked (and thus get a lighter sentence).
That would seem the most reasonable way to go as you wife’s behaviour has been illegal and it could possibly reduce the liability of her cousin without making him innocent. Of course if her cousin does not collaborate and claims to be not guilty this would not work.
With the current information, it doesn’t sound like your wife committed a crime. If you can somehow know or prove that she had advance knowledge her cousin was going to assult you, then you have a conspiracy. But as it is, she didn’t commit a crime.
File for an emergency restraining order against your ex-wife. Speak with a lawyer since you have a text message from her stating she didn’t mean for it to happen, which means she had influence on the actions of your attacker. File assault charges against the attacker and possibly your ex for solicitation of assault. But the lawyer will help you decide
So is she your ex or are you still in the process for divorce. Get a lawyer and depending on where you live they can get a restraining order and subpoena the communications between her and her family members to see if she knew about the attack or instigated it. It really depends on jurisdiction.
She may or may not be criminally/civilly liable. It’s going to be very dependent on what she knew and when. If she knew her lies were causing her cousin to want to go after you and did nothing, or even encouraged/instigated it then she could be liable/charged. If she simply spread some lies and then they went after you then it would be hard to charge her but there may still be a civil case if you can show that she should have known what the likely result of her spreading those lies to those individuals would be. Ultimately you should be consulting an attorney anyway, to go after the man who assaulted you, and you should ask them if it would be worth also going after her, during the consultation.
That’s up to the DA not you. You could go after her civilly. That text might be enough.
Bro, side note. Never turn your back to someone that’s being aggressive. Ever.