There are varied reasons for the woman being ambivalent or resisting the supposed rescue. I say supposed rescue, not referring to the specific case that was described, but in a general way, because as has been said, rescue or help has to be extensive and well planned, and to be successful, with the victim being fully on board.
Many, perhaps most, victims are not offered this. Currently, in UK, victims are often offered a hostel place away from where they know, maybe in a different parts of the country even. They may leave with nothing, and be without anyone or anything familiar. This isolates the victim, and exacerbates depression and other problems.
Women with children can't easily move into a hostel, and may be torn about doing so for all sorts of reasons. Realise that women (or men) in this situation will already be at a low ebb, with poor self esteem, depression and perhaps for some, many years of hidden abuse. In some cases they have escaped into the relationship or marriage from an abusive family, but it turns out to be no escape.
A lot of victims have been convinced by their abuser that the abuse is because they deserve it, and again, this may echo childhood experience of the victims. Their self esteem is worn down, they may be on sedative medications, or resort to self medication such as alcohol, trying to cope. What you should really be wondering, is, how do we let our society operate like this?
There are projects that are trying to build the support offered around the victim, offering them decent self contained accommodation quickly, locally, that is safe, as part of a detailed support package, this can work well.
There are also initiatives to work with abusers in long term ways, but this requires the abusers to wish to change. Many can, given the opportunity. However, there is a very serious problem of abusers who don't engage, and also of well-off, men in professional jobs who feel entitled to abuse and may be part of long-term, organised abuse of family members and others. This produces effects on the victims mental health and even their sense of a self, throughout their childhoods, where those who should most love and protect, have cruelly abused, and explained that this is due to the victims badness.
There are also situations where young women have an arranged marriage that may be to a cousin or close family member due to religious traditions, and where leaving would result in disgrace or reprisals. They may be brought from a sheltered background to another country, and their new husband may be for example, more westernised, reluctant to engage with them as a wife, having other sexual partners, while agreeing to tolerate the traditional bride, but the girl is used by the family as a servant or may be a virtual prisoner. She may see little choice, and that it is a situation she must cope with, hoping for him to change, this may lead to depression. The family may sometimes then instigate divorce citing her supposed problems, leaving her a virtual outcast.
The situation of victims of abuse isn't simple, and needs socially rooted solutions that are not left to the victims to achieve.
He was also abused by his father when he was young.. The pattern of abusers also often passes down from one generation to the next.
