the article says the boyfriend was beating her up and she defended herself
No it doesn't say that. Here is what it says:
Following a broken wedding engagement, she briefly lived with roommates, one of whom was a man who Krivanek said beat her. In December 2021, she was arrested and detained for attacking him with a knife that she said she used to defend herself.The convicted woman claimed her boyfriend beat her. This may or may not be true, we don't know. She said she was defending herself with a. knife. That may or may not be true, we don't know.