A question about domestic violence

Recently, a SFA blogger described the tragic situation of her sister who has painfully stayed with her husband after years and years of domestic violence. Her sister, a devout Catholic, has heroically "raised four children with this man, after she knew he was abusive and she and her husband raised them in an atmosphere of degradation, violence and intimidation". She and the four kids still suffer tremendously, both physically and mentally, each day now as adults.

"She could have left this man at any time and saved herself and her children, one of whom is an emotional cripple, all that suffering. God did not send her that suffering, she brought it upon herself and her children because she believes her husband is her cross to bear on Earth. The Church says divorce is bad, but is divorce worse than inflicting a lifetime of suffering on innocent children?"
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First of all, I am deeply sorry for this woman's sister and her children. Domestic violence is one scary thing, and I cannot imagine what it must be like to live in that kind of Hell. Not only do you have to endure physical suffering from someone with whom you live, it is inflicted on you by the one person you trusted more than anyone ... someone with whom you were in love. A terrible, terrible cross for any woman to bear. But, as one blogger correctly put it, it's not a cross that God asks her to bear, if she physically can get out of that awful situation.

And, that gets to the question. The Church doesn't expect this great woman of faith to stay in this dreadful and dangerous situation. In fact, the Church says she should get her and the children out. They are in grave danger; she has a responsibility to herself and to her children to protect their safety, first and foremost. She should contact her bishop, who will give her permission to separate, or if she feels it's necessary, should leave before receiving his permission.

The following is Canon 1153 of the Code of Canon Law (1983) that speaks to this question: "If either of the spouses causes grave mental or physical danger to the other spouse or to the offspring or otherwise renders common life too difficult, that spouse gives the other a legitimate cause for leaving, either by decree of the local ordinary or even on his or her own authority if there is danger in delay".

Now, to the anonymous blogger who wrote that "the Church has turned their heads the other way when it comes to the needs of women". In what ways do you mean, and can you give specific examples? Until you do, this is an irresponsible, unsubstantiated statement. I will write it here, and then in one of my next posts, that the Catholic Church is the greatest defender of the dignity of women in the world.