Has he ever been violent towards you?

[Nonverbis]

violent adjective - Definition, pictures, pronunciation and usage notes | Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary at OxfordLearnersDictionaries.com

Definition of violent adjective in Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary. Meaning, pronunciation, picture, example sentences, grammar, usage notes, synonyms and more.

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Could you tell me why "was" is used here?
I would say: "Has he ever been violent towards you?"

 

[jutfrank]

Both the present perfect and past simple work in their proper contexts.

What would you ask about someone's departed father, for example?