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UBC psychology professor Don Dutton, who is about to retire at age 72, has never had a strong desire to be the centre of attention, let alone be infamous. To his mind, he just follows the evidence.

But the expert on forensic psychology ranks high for controversy, at least in Canada.

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Dutton has written hundreds of peer-reviewed articles, more than eight books and textbooks, won dozens of grants and served as an expert witness in scores of legal cases, including appearing for the prosecution in the 1995 murder trial of former NFL star O.J. Simpson.

The more than 250 students who take Dutton’s courses each year learn about everything from the reliability of eyewitness accounts to personality disorders, from the roots of genocide to what makes serial killers tick.

But on one subject, now known as intimate-partner violence, Dutton has become too hot for many Canadians to handle.

That may be why outspoken Senator Anne Coolshas asked Dutton to speak to the Senate in Ottawa next Thursday, where he will outline how most domestic disputes involve “bilateral,” or mutual, violence.