“Let the punishment fit the crime.”
— Gilbert & Sullivan, The Mikado

A famous line. A clever lyric. A timeless moral principle.

And yet, in cases of domestic abuse, this principle too often collapses.

---

When the Law Falls Short

In many justice systems, domestic abuse is still:

• Minimised
• Undercharged
• Under-sentenced
• Or psychologically misunderstood

Survivors frequently face:

• Burdens of proof that exceed what trauma allows
• Procedural delays that retraumatise
• Sentences that fail to reflect the true psychological and physical harm inflicted

As a result, the punishment rarely fits the crime.

---

The Psychology of Harm

Domestic abuse is not simply:

an incident
It is a system of control

It is:

• Chronic psychological conditioning
• Fear-based behavioural programming
• Nervous system captivity
• Identity erosion
• Long-term trauma embedding

Yet legal systems often assess:

single events — not cumulative damage

This is a fundamental mismatch between psychological reality and legal measurement.

---

The Neuroscience of Trauma: Why This Matters

Trauma physically alters the brain.

Domestic abuse reshapes:

• Amygdala → threat hypersensitivity
• Hippocampus → memory fragmentation
• Prefrontal cortex → impaired regulation
• Autonomic nervous system → chronic survival mode

This means survivors are not simply “hurt” —
they are neurologically injured.

Yet legal sentencing rarely reflects:

• Neurological injury
• Complex PTSD
• Long-term health consequences
• Loss of earning capacity
• Identity damage
• Intergenerational trauma risk

---

The Illusion of Proportional Justice

Short sentences, suspended sentences, cautions, and minimal penalties:

• Fail to deter
• Fail to protect
• Fail to validate
• Fail to restore

They also:

• Reinforce perpetrator entitlement
• Increase post-separation risk
• Signal social minimisation

When consequences are mild, abuse escalates.

---

Survivors Pay the True Sentence

While perpetrators often walk away lightly penalised, survivors serve:

• A life sentence of hypervigilance
• Years of trauma recovery
• Chronic health conditions
• Economic disadvantage
• Identity reconstruction

This is the true imbalance of justice.

---

Reframing Justice: What Proportionality Should Mean

True proportional justice would include:

• Trauma-informed court processes
• Neuropsychological injury recognition
• Sentencing aligned with cumulative harm
• Mandatory perpetrator rehabilitation
• Survivor-centred safety planning
• Long-term protective measures

Justice must evolve from:

punishment → protection + prevention

---

Final Reflection

“Let the punishment fit the crime.”

Until legal systems fully comprehend the psychological and neurological devastation of domestic abuse, this phrase remains:

A lyric — not a reality — for survivors.

True justice does not merely punish wrongdoing.
It recognises harm, restores dignity, and prevents recurrence.

---