As someone who was abused and brainwashed and understands how Stockholm syndrome can work even when the person is allowed outside contact, I tend to agree with you. It is sooo hard to rationally justify her not protecting Sherin, but as a mama who was in a very bad relationship for five years and escaped with her life and kids and nothing else, and no one knowing beyond a bit of suspicion, I really can understand the irrational thought patterns that a DV victim has. Fear is such an amazing control factor and no matter what your spouse/captor says, you tend to believe it, because he has followed through with all the other punishments before, so why would you be safe in leaving him or standing up against the bigger things? For me it was Biblical brainwashing, physical punishments as a reminder of "a woman's place", it was the threat that if I tried to leave he would not only kill me, he would kill the kids in front of me first, he would hunt me down, no one would believe me over him etc. AND, given the fact he had 14+ charges of aggravated rape, forcible confinement over a period of 5 years and then a handful of other charges, and he was able to plea down to 90 days time served (180 days but you get 2 for 1 if served before sentencing here). There was NO protection from the justice system. LE has been wonderful with me over the years, but there was absolutely no justice. He was right, the son of a Minister wouldn't get anything but a slap on the wrist. CPS knew I wasn't lying, LE knew I wasn't lying etc but the courts slapped me in the face, didn't even have victim services contact me. So I can COMPLETELY see people in abusive and even life threatening situations stay, because sooo often the abuser is given a mere slap on the wrist and unfortunately a restraining order is only helpful when it has been broken... Sometimes the fear of all those threats is enough to make you stay. The fear of the unknown is scarier than the evil you do know. So, if Sini was also a victim, I get it. If she was a victim I have no doubt that she did everything she THOUGHT she could do. Regardless of whether or not it actually was everything.
The look on her face to IMO is detachment. I imagine I looked much the same after escape while sitting in the interview room. Wondering what on earth is going to happen, why I failed so badly, if I am safe, if I will ever feel safe again and so on. I never cried in telling what happened, not while going through the gory details, not while talking about my children, none of it. That was saved for when I could be vulnerable, laying in bed crying, the nightmares, the anxiety of leaving the house afterwards etc. But, at the hospital, at the PD, I was just going through the motions and understanding none of it.
FWIW I hope she is NOT a victim because no one should be victimized to the point their child dies and they felt helpless to stop it. Unfortunately, it does happen. Not everyone is strong enough to get out in time, not everyone expects things to escalate to this level. Fearfully sitting in your bedroom while he does god knows what isn't condoning the actions, it also doesn't mean you know what is actually going on. You know you were told to sit or go to sleep or there would be punishment and fear keeps you paralyzed to your place.
Again, I hope this isn't the case for Sini, but it could be. We simply don't know. We also have not been told that she was awake when Sherin allegedly died. Her leaving Sherin to go to dinner, if Sherin was alive, doesn't mean she had anything to do with Sherin's death. She failed to protect her, but it doesn't mean she wasn't trying to protect her in the only ways she knew how.
At this point the charges don't reflect that she caused injury to Sherin. They don't say she was an accomplice to whatever occurred in causing her death. As more evidence comes out, and more charges are laid, we will get a better idea, but right now, FOR ME, the charges don't say she was anything more than a woman who was told to leave the child and she did.
JMO and experience .
