He wrote her love letters, and she saved them, re-reading every word. When he was released, she picked him up and brought him home. When they're nice, and sweet and loving, they're great. You couldn't fall in love with them if they were beating you up from the get-go. But the cases that most concern law enforcement and others are those that do not end as amicably.
Statistics show most victims return to their abusers repeatedly before they stay away.
And it leads to endless frustration for those who are trying to help. We've got sanctuaries and we've got laws that require doctors to report abuse. It's all designed to be out there to give sanctuary to those who need it. Too often, however, those who need it most do not seek it. Police and prosecutors say they have come to expect that abused women will refuse to testify against their batterers, and it is no longer uncommon for prosecutors to force victims to take the witness stand in court.