Amy Rezos' story shows us - again - the overwhelming battle women face when they try to leave an abusive relationship.

After being beaten into semiconsciousness, smothered and nearly drowned in a bathtub, the 35-year-old Liberty Township mother of two fought for her safety. She obtained a protection order against her husband and testified against him in court.

None of it helped. Today, she is fighting for her life. Police say that after being released on bond, her husband, Chris Rezos, hid in the back of her van and shot her twice Monday as she drove to work.

Amy Rezos' suffering is the difficult answer to the easy question people ask abused women all the time: Why don't you just leave him?

From the moment an abused woman tries to leave, her chances of being harmed increase by 65 percent, according to the Rape Crisis & Abuse Center. Women who are separated from their husbands or boyfriends are at highest risk of domestic violence, according to the U.S. Justice Department.

An abused woman may counter "why don't you leave" with "how do I leave - and survive?"

Most legal and law enforcement officials reviewing Amy Rezos' case would say it is not one of flagrant disregard by the justice system. Amy took part in a Butler County Sheriff's Department's victims' assistance program that helped her with protection orders and notified her when her husband was released on bond. And some legal observers credit Butler County Area Court Judge Robert Hendrickson with raising Chris Rezos' bond to $100,000 - a high hurdle - after the first abuse charges.

These are important steps and deserve credit. But if Amy Rezos were our sister, our daughter, our friend, would we not be entitled to our doubts?

If being beaten, smothered and nearly drowned is not enough to have one's alleged assailant held without bond, what is? What must a woman endure to show that she is clearly at risk of her life?

Abused women must use all the tools at their disposal to be safe, including shelters and careful planning for how and when to leave an abusive relationship. But releasing an abuse suspect who already has demonstrated a willingness to inflict violence is to risk disaster.