PBS News Weekend

In Russia, a woman is killed by domestic violence every 40 minutes and 20 percent of women in the country are physically abused, according to past estimates from the Russian government. But earlier this year, Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a law that decriminalizes certain forms of domestic violence. For instance, as long as the abuser doesn't break any bones or abuse more than once a year, his penalty is not criminal, and he can avoid jail by paying a small fine. Critics say the new law condones abuse within the family and sustains a patriarchal culture of violence. With support from the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting, NewsHour Weekend Special Correspondent Nick Schifrin and producer Zach Fannin tell the stories of domestic abuse survivors in Russia.