Chapter 117 Claiming Self–Defense
Sophia was momentarily at a loss for words.
It seemed the more she talked, the more emotional Skyla became.
Something like this was already a huge blow for any young
Woman.
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And now, it was like tearing open her wounds, forcing her to endure both the pain and the scrutiny of everyone around her.
The pressure was overwhelming–so much so that even Sophia wasn’t confident she could handle it herself.
Seeing Sophia’s helplessness, Abigail walked over, patted Skyla on the shoulder, and handed her a tissue.
“Skyla, I know this is hard for you, but there are some things we have to clarify,” Abigail said gently.
Abigail turned to Sophia. “I think this trial isn’t going in our favor right now.
“First, there’s no direct evidence proving that Skyla was assaulted.
“Second, Skyla’s retaliation happened after the assault, which the opposing side will undoubtedly argue disqualifies it as self–defense.
Chapter 117 Claiming Self–Defense Sophia frowned deeply.
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“Honestly, I expected things to develop this way before the trial even began, but no matter what, we still have to try our best,” Sophia said.
Abigail pressed her lips together. “Do you have any new arguments we can use?”
Sophia looked at Abigail. “What do you mean?”
Abigail said, “If the attack happened after the assault ended, it could easily be classified as not self–defense. But if the assailant continued to act in a way that threatened the victim or made them feel endangered, then any retaliation could unquestionably be considered self–defense.”
Sophia frowned even more. “I’ve considered that possibility, but when I asked Skyla earlier, she said the boy didn’t show any threatening behavior after the assault. She retaliated because of his verbal insults.”
Abigail immediately caught onto the key point.
“Skyla, you need to pull yourself together. Think carefully–what exactly did he say to you after it ended?” Abigail asked firmly.
Skyla lifted her head and wiped the tears from her face.
“He was really rude, saying things like how good my body was and how I smelled nice. It made me feel sick. And then he said…”
“What did he say? You need to tell us everything, word for word,
Chapter 117 Claiming Self–Defense
Skyla hesitated for a moment before continuing.
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“He said he’d make me addicted to him, and that I’d beg him for
it in the future. I gol so angry when I heard that, so I grabbed a rock and hit him while he was putting his pants on.”
Abigail’s eyes immediately sharpened.
“That’s it!” she exclaimed.
Sophia seemed to understand what Abigail was getting at.
“You’re saying those words could be interpreted as a threat of future unwanted contact, coupled with humiliation and intimidation, and we could use that to argue self–defense?”
Abigail nodded. “Exactly.”
Sophia shook her head. “It’s no use. If we can’t prove the relationship was coerced, those words are meaningless. Without evidence, the opposing side will deny everything.”
Cases like this are the worst–everyone knows what’s true, but…
In the courtroom, evidence is king.
Right now, the only hard evidence is that the boy is lying in the
ICU.
As for the girl, though she’s covered in bruises, her injuries aren’t as severe as his.
Abigail knew this type of case was tough to fight.
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Seeing Skyla so dejected, and noticing that the break was about to end, Abigail decided to act.
Abigail spoke again, “I know it’s really hard to defend without
direct evidence, but even so, we still have to give it a shot, don’t
We?”
Sophia nodded and patted Skyla’s shoulder comfortingly.
Soon, the trial resumed.
Abigail returned to her seat in the gallery, but Xander didn’t even glance her way.
Abigail thought to herself, “He probably doesn’t recognize me anymore.”
The defense continued, and this time Sophia was the first to speak.
“Just now, the opposing side repeatedly claimed that my client seduced the boy and willingly engaged in relations. But isn’t that merely speculation? You have no direct evidence to prove that my client consented.”
Sophia stood and played the injury report on the screen.
“The injuries on my client clearly show that she fought back at the time. These injuries were sustained during her attempts to resist, and this can serve as indirect evidence that my client did not consent to the relationship.
“Furthermore, even if my client did consent, these injuries cannot be fabricated. The opposing party is still guilty of violent
Chapter 117 Claiming Self–Defense spectators let out a sigh of relief.
The boy’s parents started to get agitated again.
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But it seemed that whatever Xander had said to them during the break had calmed them down a bit.
Now, they weren’t saying anything reckless and would instead turn their anxious gazes toward Xander.
Xander immediately spoke again, “This was a consensual encounter. Injuries can happen in the heat of the moment, and they cannot serve as evidence. However, the opposing party intentionally harmed my client, and he is now lying in the ICU- that is the best proof.
“The opposing side claims it was self–defense. However, we argue that if the injuries were sustained during the assault, that would indeed be self–defense. But since the attack occurred after
the incident ended, it constitutes intentional harm.”
The judge nodded in acknowledgment.
Skyla started sobbing again.
Sophia’s expression grew tense as well.
Things were unfolding exactly as they had anticipated. Whether or not they could turn things around now depended on how well Sophia and Skyla worked together.
Sophia stood up again.
“The opposing side keeps saying that my client attacked after
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young woman, who’s been in a relationship with her boyfriend for two years, suddenly choose to engage with a stranger? It doesn’t make sense, does it? As for why the attack occurred after
the incident…
“First of all, my client is a woman, and there’s an obvious disparity in physical strength between men and women. It’s not that she didn’t try to resist–she simply couldn’t succeed. And after the incident, the boy further humiliated and threatened her, which made her feel endangered. She attacked when he let his guard down. We maintain that this was self–defense.”
This seemed to align with Xander’s intentions.
Xander let out a sly smirk as he stood up and began presenting his own evidence on the big screen.
