“I didn’t realise how numb I am to this behaviour.”: My Wife, My Abuser documentary inspires men to break silence on surviving domestic abuse
My Wife, My Abuser: The Secret Footage came as one of the most shocking entries of the year in the true crime genre. The documentary is based on the abusive, decades-long relationship between Sheree Spencer and her husband, Richard. It covered the physical and mental torment that IT designer Richard faced from his wife throughout their lives together.
The documentary recently dropped on Netflix UK after its earlier premiere on Channel 5. The streaming release immediately created a strong response from viewers who called Sheree sick and disgusting. Others seemed unhappy that she got away from the crimes with only four years in prison.
However, the rare instance of physical violence by a female on her husband shown in My Wife, My Abuser, opened up several conversations. Men who suffered from such abuse in their lives began opening up about their situations and the trauma they endured.
Reddit user Scary_Beginning_7153 first raised the subject by commenting:
“I’m genuinely shocked by how affected people are in the comments here as I didn’t realise how numb I am to this behaviour.”
Others soon joined in and narrated their experiences and how they, too, had become numb to the cycle of abuse due to years of torment in various parts of their lives.
“I’m numb too.. because I was abused by my grandfather as a child for years and was locked at home without having friends for years. But I came out great and have a good life now with my partner. But I guess it doesn’t affect me so much.. I had worse sometimes as a child than this guy.”- another user added.
“Luckily I’m not anymore but I grew up in a home with similar emotional abuse.”- yet another user spoke out.
“It might be imprinted in their minds its ok to hit men.”- another user said, discussing about the children who witnessed the abuse.
Many fans also showed their outrage because Sheree Spencer was only handed a four-year prison sentence despite her long, long cycle of abuse.
What happened to My Wife, My Abuser subject Richard Spencer?
Richard Spencer endured twenty years of physical, mental, and financial torment from his wife, Sheree Spencer. Sheree reportedly assaulted her husband numerous times in numerous ways that left him completely broken.
From throwing wine bottles to spitting on Richard, Sheree continued to abuse him for two decades before the IT designer finally confessed to a friend. The friend, in turn, prompted Richard to report the abuse to the authorities.
Richard had filmed many instances of Sheree’s abuse on their nanny cam, parts of which were also depicted in My Wife, My Abuser.
He was also left scarred and disfigured from one of his wife’s attacks on him.
My Wife, My Abuser covers this case in more detail. It is available for streaming on UK Netflix.
Source: Sportskeeda
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