Woman hitters

At work recently there was some drama because one of the students ran away from home. She was a high school student. I guess that makes her about 16. She ran away because her father was beating her. She was black, blue, and swollen... She was desperate.
News spread quickly at work.
The scary part was that most people blamed the girl. They all thought she was selfish for running away. Selfish for getting out of the house that was leaving her black and blue. Getting away from the man she hated so much because he left scars.. emotional and physical ones.
Why is a desperate child to be blamed? Why did people not think the father was the ass for doing this to his daughter? Why didn't people acknowledge that the father is a messed up asshole???

I was talking with one of my coworkers about the girl. She said the girl was selfish. I personally feel that a man should never hit a woman under any circumstances. So, I was passionately defending her. I was calling the father every synonym for asshole that my mind could conjour. I was talking about the "woman hitters" being fucked up demented freaks.
She broke down and cried. She poured her heart out about her husband beating her. She expressed her desperation because there is nothing seh can do. Spoke about her dreams of providing a stable household for her children. Spoke about a balanced life that she dreamt of, and now realizes she will never have.
She said that this is her life and she cannot change it, so she might as well just find a way to live it. To make it as bearable as possible.
My heart broke into a million little pieces. I hugged her and let her cry. I let her say the things she needed to get out.

I want to know what it is about men in Egypt that makes them think that hitting makes them a man? Why do they need to belittle a woman to feel manly? Why do they need to flaunt their strength and supposed power?
When will men here realize that being a man is not about how hard you can throw a punch. When will men realize that if they need to hit a woman they are hmm.. I seriously cannot think of a word to describe them.!!! Losers? Freaks? Weak? All of the above?
I guess what bothered me the most is her feeling of desperation. The fact that she thinks there is nothing she can do. The fact that she will just live this life.. this fucked up life that made her cry in the arms of an almost complete stranger.
I am worried that the women do not understand that the men are not supposed to hit them. That they do not need to stay in a relationship that is like that.
I wish they knew that they could leave...
I wish they knew that they deserve better....