History Main / ManslaughterProvocation

* A ''{{Series/Criminal Minds}}'' episode features a B-plot where Rossi and Hotch are asked to consult on a case by a skeptical prosecutor dealing with a woman who murdered her husband and claims it was this. The reason the prosecutor is skeptical is that the woman has no bruise marks, broken bones or any other signs of physical injuries, the husband was well-liked and respected by those who knew him, and even her children say she is lying and paint her as a terrible parent. Hotch and Rossie eventually conclude that she was telling the truth, and that the husband was a VillainWithGoodPublicity who was actually a psychologically abusive ControlFreak who had brainwashed their children into hating their mother and think she was useless. It's eventually revealed that the husband was ''so'' absolutely controlling that after stabbing him to death in their bedroom, the wife immediately tidied everything up, cleared up all the blood and made sure everything was perfectly clean, [[NightmareFuel because she knew he would be mad at her for the mess she made]].

** Angela Oscoro, the {{Woobie}} of the game, [[spoiler:killed her father after nearly twenty years of [[ParentalIncest sexual abuse]]]]. The effects of [[spoiler:her father's abuse]] have left her unable to be anywhere near others without having a mental breakdown; this can be seen when James attempts to help her and she shrieks at him and runs away instead.

* A ''{{Series/CriminalMinds}}'' episode features a B-plot where Rossi and Hotch are asked to consult on a case by a skeptical prosecutor dealing with a woman who murdered her husband and claims it was this. The reason the prosecutor is skeptical is that the woman has no bruise marks, broken bones or any other signs of physical injuries, the husband was well-liked and respected by those who knew him, and even her children say she is lying and paint her as a terrible parent. Hotch and Rossie eventually conclude that she was telling the truth, and that the husband was a VillainWithGoodPublicity who was actually a psychologically abusive ControlFreak who had brainwashed their children into hating their mother and think she was useless. It's eventually revealed that the husband was ''so'' absolutely controlling that after stabbing him to death in their bedroom, the wife immediately tidied everything up, cleared up all the blood and made sure everything was perfectly clean, [[NightmareFuel because she knew he would be mad at her for the mess she made]].

* Although played for laughs, the ladies of ''Theatre/{{Chicago}}'' plead this in "The Cell Block Tango".

This can be TruthInTelevision, [[AwfulTruth Sadly enough]].

* A ''Series/LawAndOrderUK'' episode involves a mother killing the man who was responsible for the death of her daughter in a botched kidnapping as he leaves his bail hearing. The CPS have to go for murder as the charge. The jury convict on manslaughter provocation and she gets a suspended sentence. [[spoiler: She was in on the original kidnapping and they convict her on gross negligence manslaughter instead.]]

** Angela Oscoro, the {{Woobie}} of the game, [[spoiler: killed her father after nearly twenty years of [[ParentalIncest sexual abuse]]]]. The effects of [[spoiler:her father's abuse]] have left her unable to be anywhere near others without having a mental breakdown; this can be seen when James attempts to help her and she shrieks at him and runs away instead.

* The entire plot of ''Criminal Justice 2'', a five-part 2009 {{BBC}} mini-series starring Maxine Peake, who kills her abusive husband with a knife. [[spoiler: She'd brought the knife to bed planning to kill herself when her husband raped her again, but turned the knife on him. The jury goes for manslaughter provocation. The judge gives her five years, though, enough for her to lose the baby she conceived with another man.]]

It used to be the case that [[DeathByWomanScorned catching your spouse in the act of adultery was considered sufficient provocation for murder.]] ''Generally'' most people nowadays agree that you're still not allowed to kill someone for that.

* An episode of ''Series/StargateSG1'' plays with the trope. When Teal'c gets an apartment off-base, he helps his next-door neighbor deal with her abusive boyfriend, including teaching her some self-defense techniques. This ends in her "crushing the man's windpipe" during a struggle, and she panics and runs away, prompting the police to look into it as a homicide. By the end of the episode, however, Teal'c manages to obtain iron-clad evidence that the killing was in self-defense, and the girl is acquitted.

Bob has made his wife Alice's life a living misery. He beats her, he closely monitors her movements and he effectively prevents her from living a normal life.

** This premise was originally used in the American LawAndOrder.

* A ''LawAndOrderUK'' episode involves a mother killing the man who was responsible for the death of her daughter in a botched kidnapping as he leaves his bail hearing. The CPS have to go for murder as the charge. The jury convict on manslaughter provocation and she gets a suspended sentence. [[spoiler: She was in on the original kidnapping and they convict her on gross negligence manslaughter instead.]]

* Nikki Wade of ''BadGirls'' is a prison lifer for killing a police officer who was trying to rape her partner.
* ''WaterlooRoad'', [[spoiler: where a pupil kills her sexually abusive father, although it's as yet unclear if she'll get a jury to go for manslaughter provocation, as it was pre-meditated.]]

* This is exactly what {{Billy Budd}} did, but it was still handled as murder. The victim only got what he deserved...

* Although played for laughs, the ladies of {{Chicago}} all plead this in "The Cell Block Tango." Nobody's buying it.

Bob has made his wife's Alice life a living misery. He beats her, he closely monitors her movements and he effectively prevents her from living a normal life.

* The entire plot of ''Criminal Justice 2'', a five-part 2009 {{BBC}} mini-series starring Maxine Peake, who kills her abusive husband with a knife. [[spoiler: She'd brought the knife to bed planning to kill herself when her husband raped her again, but turned the knife on him. The jury goes for manslaughter provocation. The judge gives her five years, though, enough for her to lose the baby she fathered with another man.]]

* Although played for laughs, the ladies of {{Chicago}} all plead this in the hit song "He had it coming." Nobody's buying it.

In both cases, the crime becomes voluntary manslaughter rather than murder, which could still carry prison time.

* ''Justified'' The antagonist's brother is killed by his wife who blows his head off with a shotgun at the dinner table. It is implied that she will plead to manslaughter. Nobody in the town seems to have a problem with what she did since the husband was an abusive drunk who beat her constantly. Even the antagonist considers her actions justified and seems more concerned with the fact that she is now single. This kind of thing appears to be a central theme of the show.