Palm Springs woman gets probation after trying to chop husband's penis

PALM SPRINGS, Calif. (KABC) -- A Palm Springs woman was sentenced to three years' probation and 420 hours of community service after trying to cut off her husband's penis.

Virginia Valdez, 72, pleaded guilty to one count of assault with a deadly weapon in connection to the 2011 attack that sent her then 62-year-old husband to the hospital.

The victim, Cesar Valdez, blames the criminal justice system for how his ordeal ended. He spoke publicly Friday for the first time about what happened to him at the hands of his then-estranged wife.

"I am here in front of you today to emphasize that male spouses can also be victims of domestic violence, but in some cases, men are afraid to talk for fear of ridicule or for fear of being labeled as some sort of freak or a wimp," he said.

Attorney Gloria Allred, best known for handling high-profile cases involving women, represented Valdez.

"This is what was used on his penis," Allred said, while holding heavy-duty scissors. "There was a lot of blood coming out of his penis as a result of her attack on him."

Virginia Valdez did not want to speak with reporters outside the Palm Springs courthouse following her sentencing.

Allred says her client is the victim of a double standard when it comes to domestic violence.

"He feels that if he had been a woman victim of domestic violence that the case would not have been permitted to be delayed for so long and that the punishment for Virginia would have been harsher," she said.

An additional charge of inflicting corporal injury on a spouse was dismissed during Virginia Valdez's sentencing at the Palm Springs courthouse. She could have faced up to nine years in prison had she gone to trial and been convicted of both felony charges, prosecutors said.

The couple had been married for 32 years, but were going through a divorce.

Cesar Valdez says his ex-wife called him to their former home, lured him into their bedroom and attacked him for no reason. Cesar Valdez says he agreed to the plea deal so he could move on with his life.

"There is no doubt in my mind that had I been the aggressor and not the victim my case would have been heard much sooner," he said.

The criminal case is now over, but there is still pending civil litigation between the two ex-spouses, who are suing each other.

CNS contributed to this report.