Manjula, the wife of an army officer, had been married for over a decade and had two children. Preman comes home only after 06 months or sometimes a year later and recently whenever he feels like says Manjula. She says that recently the behavior of her husband has become extra brutal and violent, “I feel he is involved in extra-marital affairs with other women and come home late when he receives his annual leaves.”

When Manjula walked into the Colombo WIN office, she could barely walk or sit as Preman had brutally hit her with a belt for hours, despite her cries of plea. Manjula refused to go back home with her two children as she was sure that Preman would kill her and injure their children, as a result, she was given refuge at the WIN shelter. Despite the severity of the violence, Manjula refused to lodge a legal case against her husband and wanted to return home as she did not have the financial independence to restart life again.