There are subtle signs that give away a mentally-unstable spouse-to-be, a member of the International Federation of Women Lawyers (FIDA), Ms Chinyere Obasi, has said.
The lawyer revealed the signs in a statement released to the media in Lagos on Saturday.
She described domestic violence as being a direct antagonist of a sane society, with the major problem stemming from the family unit.
Obasi, therefore, urged intending couples to ensure that they are familiar with the psychological make up of their prospective spouses, before marriage.
“We have been inundated with endless stories of spouse brutalisation often leading to death, as well as stories of child and maid molestation and brutalisation.
“Without prejudice to the other forms mentioned, brutalisation of the female spouse is mostly rampant in our society.
“It is common knowledge that the family unit is the cradle of society, being the very foundation upon which the pillars of societal advancements are built.
“Hence, there is a high tendency that a brutalised child or one who witnessed same on a parent, maid or sibling would naturally continue the cycle in his or her own home, thus, further destroying the society,” she said
According to Obasi, recurring incidences of domestic violence in society, now calls for intending couples to look into the mental disposition of their proposed partners before marriage.
“It may be cliché, but it remains very valid that intending couples should look very deep into the mental disposition of the person they intend to marry.
“There are always signs of violence in a violent person, no matter how concealed.
“It requires a high level of sensitivity to detect same; hence intending spouses should be deliberate in observing the tendencies of their spouses,” she said.
According to her, it is also important to watch how an intending partner treats the people around them because even where they try to conceal same, it will naturally manifest in others.