Kad asked "Why the hell would an anonymous woman say she was physically abused?"
It doesn't seem to take great imagination to visualize a Munchausen syndrome kind of person (or someone suffering from some degree of paranoia, schizophrenia, or the like) who creates imaginary tales of illness or victimization. I'm not saying, of course, that this is the case here. But we all are, I think, given the ability to imagine any sort of plausible scenario (although those with a wider range of life experiences can possibly imagine more than those who have led a rather homogenous, unchallenged life).
Well meaning laymen might also be advised to avoid the common pitfall of ascribing near-sainthood to the abused; as those in the business of social work know, repetitively abusive relationships generally involve two people who both suffer from sympathetic pathological traits, and both parties need a lot of counseling and help to change those behaviors. Without help, the abuser will continue to abuse, and the abused will continue to seek out abusers. This is not "victim blaming," but a strategic approach to solving a problem.
But why is this not on Other Topics?