A female judge has ruled out premeditation in the case of a man who, before killing a woman, had for several days been searching “how to kill” on the internet.

A female lawyer decides to defend a man who has killed a woman.

And beyond what I read in the newspaper, I think about my own patients.

Cristina ... who accused her husband for domestic violence, but ended up in tears after meeting with social services. They were supposed to help her, but instead the female workers told her that because she had waited through years of abuse before reporting it, they might take away her children from her.

Immacolata ... who bore her husband’s unfaithfulness for years and finally found the courage to leave him, but was then beaten and verbally abused by his mother and sisters.

Francesca ... whose ex-husband was convinced by his new girlfriend to cut ties with their children.

Nunzia ... who went to a clinic because she was indecisive on whether or not to have an abortion, and hoped to speak to a psychologist or social service worker with whom she could talk. Instead, she found only a female gynecologist who handed her a card and pointed to the nearest hospital after saying “next time use protection and think about what you’re doing.”

And myself... a psychiatrist, who asks herself why some men hate women, but mostly wants to know why some women hate women.

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