TV Reviews : ‘Battered’ Condemns Criminal Justice System

“Battered,” a look at victims of domestic violence airing at 10 tonight on HBO, delivers a harsh indictment of the legal system that is as immediate as tomorrow’s headlines--not to mention yesterday’s.

Narrated and directed by Lee Grant, “Battered” is clearly an advocacy documentary: Grant feeds interviewees leading questions, sometimes puts words in their mouths, frequently sighs heavily during poignant moments.

This approach and a tendency to go heavy on statistics somewhat mars an otherwise excellent show--the interviews are often very moving, the stories compelling.

What could be more powerful than the opening interview with a swollen and bruised Lisa Bianco, taped a few months before her ex-husband--sentenced to five years in prison for wife beating--was released on an eight-hour furlough, during which he fatally beat her in front of a neighbor’s home?

Or the next interview, with the woman whose estranged husband burst into her apartment and stabbed her repeatedly while her children and mother frantically tried to pull him off? She survived, and pointedly condemns a system that makes frequent mistakes--”Their ‘oops’ can cost me my life.”

“Battered” offers a solution, showcasing a successful program in Duluth, Minn., where family assault is considered a crime and the police and courts must take action against offenders. The show also makes a case for active intervention--shelters for victims, counseling for offenders--to end the cycle of abuse.

Often raw and blunt, “Battered” is not pretty TV. But it does make its points and is a strong addition to the swelling chorus calling for reform of an unresponsive system.