Beaten black and blue, a severely disfigured woman stares bleakly at the camera. After 20 years of abuse, her husband had tried to set fire to her. Domestic violence is endemic in Finland, and the trend is worsening. "Rape was a type of cruel game that my husband played," recalls one woman. "He was constantly unfaithful. He infected me with so many STDs that I have become infertile." Experts blame three main factors in the high incidence of violence in Finland: a widespread lack of communication between spouses, increasing work pressures and a national culture of heavy drinking. Relief organisations are now being set up to help abused women, but Finland's small and tight knit population means hiding from problems is nearly impossible.