Weak, insecure and stupid people, but I blame religion as well. They think marriage is for life and they own their wives. I'm not against capital punishment and the only way to eradicate some of the crimes.
Here in the north Italy religion is not the issue because most of the people don't care at all (talking about Christians of course) and speak with blasphemies included (me too when I get very angry), it's more like "you are mine or of no one else"... I agree though that like Islamic women get treated heavily bad even here, walk behind the man, covered all the face and body, beaten...