In a shocking video, a judge can be seen yelling at a tearful victim of domestic violence before sentencing the woman to spend three days in jail.
According to ABC News, the victim was holding her child inside a Florida residence when the child's father allegedly choked her and grabbed a kitchen knife.
He was arrested after threatening them both with the blade.
The woman was summoned to attend her alleged abuser's July 22 trial, for which a jury was selected, but the woman did not show.
A visibly angry Seminole County judge Judge Jackie Collins asked the woman why she should not be found in contempt of court.
"Your honour, I'm very sorry for not attending the last one," the woman said through tears. "I've been dealing with depression and just a lot personally since this happened. My anxiety is like, this is everyday for me."
However the judge was not impressed.
"You haven't even seen anxiety,” said the judge. “We had a jury, six people there ready to try [your abuser] who has a prior history of domestic violence.
“You were required to be here by a court order. You disobeyed a court order knowing that this was not going to turn out well for the state.
"Why wouldn't you come to testify?"
The victim explained: "I went to the domestic abuse class. I asked them to drop everything ... I'm trying to move on with my life.”
"I'm begging you, please, please don’t!”
She said that when her alleged abuser went to jail for two weeks previously (again on charges of domestic violence) he'd lost his job and had been unable to pay child support.
She emotionally added that she'd lost her house and was now homeless.
"We're trying to separate. ... I'm trying to move on with my life. ... I'm living at my parents' house. ... I had to sell everything I owned. I'm just not in a good place right now," she said.
WFTV reported that the victim was sobbing in the courtroom, desperately trying to plead with the judge when she returned to court.
The judge found her in contempt of court and sentenced her to three days in jail.
Collins said: “You were required to be here by a court order.
"You disobeyed a court order, knowing that this was not going to turn out well for the state."
On the video, the woman can be seen breaking down and begging with the judge to change her mind.
"Judge, I'll do anything… I have a 1-year-old son and I'm trying to take care of him by myself. I'm begging you, please, please don’t!”
The decision has not been appealed, WFTV reports.
Many have slammed the decision, insisting it was too harsh.
Jeanne Gold, CEO of SafeHouse (a shelter for victims of abuse), said to ABC News: "There's no — absolutely nothing that I could think of - that would be the reason to re-victimise this person by putting her in jail.
“I don't understand where that thinking came from.”
The alleged abuser was ordered to pay court costs and was sentenced to 16 days in jail for simple battery.
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