There is truth in that, but it’s worth reiterating that we don’t always think that way about men with similar histories and offenses. Their anger and capacity for violence is always taken seriously, but we struggle with seeing women as dangerous to others because it is so rare for them to act those feelings out with violence. Most of the harm they do is to themselves, but Zahra’s behavior repeatedly put others in danger as well. Any difference in our sympathy toward her suggests we have a gendered view of evil, whereby men’s violence is seen as essentially different to women’s, which profits
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