Commonwealth v. Goetzendanner

The defendant was convicted by a Superior Court jury of aggravated rape (two indictments), kidnapping, assault and battery with a dangerous weapon (a stick), assault *638by means of a dangerous weapon (a knife), and assault and battery.1 He was sentenced to concurrent terms of from twenty to thirty years on the aggravated rape convictions.2 He appeals from the convictions and from the denial of his motion for a new trial,3 contending that: (1) testimony of an expert witness concerning “battered woman’s syndrome” was wrongly admitted as evidence at his trial; and (2) he was denied effective…