I guess that gives her the right to abuse everyone else now. 🤢
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Years ago, when I was trying to nail down what was wrong with the media's portrayal (movies, television) of the responsibility of victims who become abusers, a lecturer assured those of us in the conference that those abused when young eventually reach a point of inflection where they make a decision whether to become an abuser, or become someone who is on the side of the abused.
The lecturer said those who become abusers made the immoral choice to do evil even though they personally knew what it cost them to be abused. There's a predatory thought process veiled by a vengeance "defense", "I am angry and shall go do to others what was done to me! I will make others know what it's like! I will use power and capacity for rage to horrify and victimize!"
I've been thinking about that lately. With Hunter, I separate the two situations. Whomever abused him (and likely there were numerous abusers) committed heinous evil and should be punished. Likewise, although Hunter knew what it was like to be a victim, how horrible the cost, he made a self-interested, informed choice to become a predator. He sought the gratification of sickening power and control.
Every time Hunter offended, he made that malevolent choice again and it served his desire for evil. Just as his little Chinese rape/torture victims have no reason to feel compassion for him, I have no pity for the adult abuser he chose to be.
The Star Wars movie franchise, and others, played with this duality as they worked to "humanize" their villain. Darth Vader kills a planet full of people at the start of the original movie, follow up movies show the audience what "made him what he became." But that's not really valid; he was treated horribly and in response, he made a choice, which he then repeated over and over again, to be monstrous. One movie reviewer pointed this out asking, "Isn't there a point past which we don't have to feel "sorry" for him? He did unforgivable crimes...at what point does his reputation become irredeemable?"
I know those on thread are discussing the past as they process aspects of this horror without defending Hunters actions, or those of GW - I've just been thinking about that lecture lately and saw your comment.