Prosecutors are calling an expert witness inside the Diddy trial, a medical and forensic psychologist who’s telling the jury about why victims maintain in abusive relationships, how they cope, the obstacles they face in leaving, and the best way their recollections are affected by trauma.
Dawn Hughes took the stand Wednesday morning as a result of the eleventh witness often known as by the feds. Prosecutors are presenting her as an expert witness who specializes in trauma and traumatic stress.
Hughes knowledgeable jurors it’s pretty frequent for victims to remain in abusive relationships … explaining there’s all kinds of mechanisms that make victims actually really feel trapped, and it isn’t merely reserved to bodily violence.
She testified sexual abuse makes it laborious for victims to go away relationships or search help … as a result of private nature of the abuse … she says they often actually really feel shame, humiliation, degradation and don’t want to discuss it with others, so much a lot much less give it some thought.
Division of Justice
Funds are one different hurdle, Hughes talked about on the stand … telling jurors a sufferer who’s financially relying on their abuser can have a extra sturdy time leaving.
Hughes testified it usually takes quite a few makes an try for victims to lastly depart an abusive relationship … and there’s a pattern of returning and reconciling. She talked about some victims actually really feel they may come once more to the nice mannequin of their affiliate, who they nonetheless love.
She knowledgeable the jury “trauma bonds” may sort between a sufferer and their abuser … and which will make a sufferer have a hard time leaving, on account of there’s love and kindness hooked as much as the abuse.
Hughes testified victims will often develop coping mechanisms to maintain abuse and can numb themselves with remedy and alcohol. She talked about it’s regular for victims to attend months, and even years, sooner than telling anyone regarding the abuses they suffered.
She knowledgeable the jury victims’ recollections is also fragmented from trauma … and whereas they take into account the gist or core of abuse, they may not recall every explicit time or factor from as soon as they’d been abused.
Diddy safety lawyer Jonathan Bach then began cross-examining Hughes … and he requested her about malingering, and if people can fabricate emotional responses, and Hughes replied, “They’ll.”
Cassie beforehand testified about bodily abuse she suffered at Diddy’s palms … and he or she knowledgeable the jury she felt trapped inside the relationship and that that they’d a few breaks sooner than lastly calling it quits. Others have testified they seen Diddy abuse her and that Cassie knowledgeable them she couldn’t depart on account of Diddy managed her music career and paid for her dwelling, vehicle, and gave her an allowance. Prosecutors are using Hughes’ expert testimony to elucidate and contextualize a number of of Cassie’s testimony about how she behaved all through her relationship with Diddy.
Diddy’s safety hasn’t shied away from the house violence tales, nonetheless they declare there was DV on all sides.
Worth noting … Hughes testified the federal authorities is paying her $600 an hour and he or she’s getting $6,000 for her day in courtroom. She was beforehand employed by Amber Heard inside the Johnny Depp trial and is anticipated to testify inside the Harvey Weinstein retrial, moreover in New York.
