Episode 55: Survivor Rachel Bellesen Shot Her Abusive Ex and Faced the Possibility of Life Behind Bars

Survivor Rachel Bellesen thought she was free after escaping a horrifically abusive husband who started grooming her at just 15 years old. But his abuse never stopped, even after Rachel remarried. Even after her ex victimized other women—he still came for Rachel. In 2020, when she fought back, the courts called her the perpetrator and threatened to send the mom of two to prison for life or possibly even execute her.

According to statistics compiled by the ACLU, women who kill their partners will spend an average of 15 years behind bars, while men who kill their female partners will serve on average between 2 to 6 years. At least 90 percent of women in prison for killing men report having been abused by those men. Listen to the incredible story of Rachel's survival and ask yourself, why are women being punished every day for trying to stop abuse?