The Rights Of Man

HOW CAN EQUALITY AND HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION CONTINUE TO IGNORE MALE VICTIMS OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE

Last week, the Equalities and Human Rights Commission launched its Map of Gaps (link) campaign, aimed at naming and shaming councils who do not provide adequate services for women who are victims of domestic violence. It is part of the End Violence Against Women (EVAW) who believe that 100 council's are at risk of being found guilty.

At the same time last week, the Ministry of Justice published figures (link, link) that showed the numbers of women being arrested for violence had increased by 22% since 2004. This was covered on the site with regard to the correlation with domestic violence (link).

The key question is that with 40% of victims of domestic violence and domestic abuse being men (link), alongside an increase in violent women, why has the Equalities and Human Rights Commission not produced a similar campaign for male victims?

Why, if the Commission truly believes in equality, is it then ignoring people who make up 40% of the domestic violence victim population?

HARMAN'S CORONERS AND JUSTICE BILL - THE TRACY BARLOW EFFECT

On the 14th January, Harriet Harman got her way and the Coroners and Justice Bill received its first reading in Parliament.

Whilst the bill is wide ranging, there were three cracking articles and debates in the Daily Telegraph, Daily Mail and the irrepressible Melanie Phillips, also in the Daily Mail who declares it as "Harman's latest male-bashing policy."

The key issue is not really about what charge a man would recieve if, in a momentary loss of control, he kills his wife because of adultery (presume it applies to women finding their husband in bed with anotherwomen), it is the sub-text around the 'defence' for killing a man because of domestic violence or the perceived fear of violence. The adultery issue is a smokescreen.

The clear subtext is one that is at the core of the anti-male Government and establishment that is so prevalent in today's Britain. The wording of the law will be gender-neutral but the application of the law will not be, it will be anti-male.

The Daily Telegraph explains it well - "It will streamline the defence of provocation to two key areas, one of 'fear of serious violence'. If a victim of domestic violence fears she will be attacked again she could argue such a defence if she kills her partner and, if the jury accepts the defence, would be convicted of manslaughter and avoid the mandatory life term."

The problem is firstly Harriet Harman has made it clear, this is about a defence for females and females-only. It sets the tone for the Crown Prosecution Service and the police. If a man who commits such a crime because of the domestic violence he suffers/fears from his wife/partner, he is very unlikely to be believed. His defence team will have to work ten times harder to get the prosecution to swallow it and that is before you come to the jury.

The problem with the jury is that because 99% (and this is being generous to the 1%) of the propaganda by the Government, Police, Crown Prosecution Service, media and others is that only women can be victims of domestic violence, they are not likely to be believed. I suspect the jury will probably feel such claims as being laughable. It is irrelevant that 40% of domestic violence victims are male, who knows this fact? The Government, police and others know it (it is a Home Office fact) but choose to ignore it.

The second issue is that it makes it easier for violent women to kill their husbands/partners and then claim that it was because they were victims or in fear, without any proof. The man cannot speak from beyond the grave. The tone of Harman's comments is that the police and CPS almost have to accept the word of a woman when she says it was because of provocation, proof is not needed.

A clear example would be that in Coronation Street a few years ago Tracy Barlow cold bloodily killed her male partner Charlie Stubbs and claimed it was because of domestic violence, which was untrue. The police saw through it and she was jailed for murder. If this Bill becomes a law, it is likely she would have had her sentence wrongly commuted to manslaughter and would probably be out of prison by now.

Many men complain that they are the victims of false accusations by violent wives/partners and when they ring the police, the wife/partner says it was the man who was the perpetrator. The police of course believe the women becuase they are told to. With 22 men being killed per year by women in a domestic relationship, there is a risk this figure will now increase because some will feel they can get away it.

Commentary on the proposals was also made on this site here in 2008

  

AMANDA PERTHEN WRITES BIASED COPY FOR DAILY MAIL ON DOMESTIC VIOLENCE

Amanda Perthen, a freelance journalist writing for the Daily Mail, wrote some atrociously one-sided copy on domestic violence in the New Year (link).

In an article on 3rd January 2009 for the Daily Mail, she wrote about an increase in domestic violence because of the recession. This was because the National Centre for Domestic Violence reported a 40 per cent increase in victims seeking its support in December 2008.

The National Centre, to be fair, were gender neutral in their comments but the journalist skewed the whole feature towards men as perpetrators, female as victims. A comment from Womens Aid but none from Mankind Initiative or Men Aid. In addition, she just used the 1 in 4 women will be victims in their lifetime but did not use the 1 in 6 men.

Pure Bias as reflected in the comment at the bottom of her article.

PROGRESS IN NORTH EAST ON DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AGAINST MEN

Heartedly, there are some areas of the UK that treat male victims of domestic violence sensibly and equally.

The Sunday Sun reported this week (link) that a number of councils such as Wear Valley,  Blyth Valley and Stockton provide support.

Refuge support is needed of course but recognition will have to come first.

SHAMEFUL SCOTTISH GOVERNMENT WILFULLY IGNORES MALE DOMESTIC ABUSE VICTIMS IN SCOTLAND OVER CHRISTMAS

In the past few months there has been a sense that things may change in Scotland because of the publication of statistics (link) that showed how many men were victims of domestic abuse and domestic violence in Scotland (130% increase since 2000/01). These are under-reported figures of course as there are only incidents reported to the police. Pressure has been applied but so far the Scottish Government is not budging. This is on purpose.

This can be seen by the Scottish Government's shameful Christmas campaign about domestic abuse because it only features, as ever, women as victims (link, link). No mention of male victims whatsoever.

The Scottish Government TV adverts, entitled "I Soar" (link), will highlight the help that is available to those experiencing domestic abuse (women-only!). It will coincide with a new protocol outlining how the police and courts should deal with domestic violence cases. The adverts, voiced by actress Daniela Nardini, will began on Boxing Day.

Unveiling the campaign, Communities Minister Stewart Maxwell, said "Christmas is a time when many families are affected by domestic abuse and calls to the helpline and police increase. I hope that many women will see this year's adverts and take the first steps towards seeking help to rid their lives of domestic abuse."

Stewart Maxwell obviously does not give a damn about help that male victims (and their children) may need.

This campaign is shameful because despite there own statistics, they wilfully and purposely continue to ignore male victims. It is no different of course to the UK Government (link).

BEWARE THE WEASEL ACKNOWLEDGEMENT ON MALE VICTIMS OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE

One of the things that would have been clear in any analysis in the changing position of the Government, statutory authorities and the media on male victims is the weasel acknowledgement.

Years ago there was no acknowledgement but now there is the weasel acknowledgement. This is where, to give the false impression of gender neutrality, there is a description in an article/publication/report on the lines of  - "Men can also be victims of domestic violence but the vast majority of victims are women" - An untrue assertion (link) as 40% - 43% of victims are men. The article/publication/report then ignores male victims and only mentions female victims.

The Guardian's Joan Smith's article (link)from this weekend is a case in point (worth viewing the debate on the article).

The article states:- "Plenty of middle-class women, and some men, are beaten and humiliated by their partners, but there's growing evidence that the global recession is making people more vulnerable to physical and mental abuse".

It then just goes into the usual diatribe about how women suffer at the hands of men, without presenting the alternative view. All very predictable and just adds to the stereotype that only women can be victims.

Don't let the weasel acknowledgement fool anyone.

 

JUSTICE GAP FOR MALE VICTIMS OF DOMESTIC VIOLENCE REVEALED

Picking up a theme in The ManKind Initiative charity's submission (link) to a Crown Prosecution Service Review on Domestic Violence, new CPS crime figures show there is a justice gap for male victims.

The justice gap is because whilst the British Crime Survey (link) and other statistics show that men make up 40% - 43% of all victims of domestic violence, why do the police report low figures (if they do at all) and why are there so few females prosecuted.

The new CPS figures (In a report called Violence Against Women - page 18 onwards - link) show that of the 63,819 (2007-08) completed prosecutions, only 3,770 (5.9%) of those prosecuted were women. This was an increase from 2,579 (5.2%) in 2005-06, effectively 46% increase in three years.

 

As the CPS' training on domestic violence, all their information/leaflets are women-only and fact that they only really believe that women can be victims, it means there is a justice gap for male victims of 37% (43% minus 5.9%). It is difference between the reported victims rate and the prosecution rate.

This difference is an injustice and if it was the other way round (a justice gap for women) it would make the headlines, instead it is ignored. 

GOVERNMENT CONTINUES TO IGNORE MALE DOMESTIC VIOLENCE VICTIMS

Whilst there has been some progress this year with some police forces and local authorities starting to look at what they can do for male victims, the Labour Government purposely ignores them.

This can be seen by the Government's launch (link and link) of a new Christmas Anti-Domestic Violence Campaign in association with Refuge and Women's Aid. The £100,000 Channel 5 advertising campaign also includes posters and an enforcement campaign in 10 police areas. This is a pre-cursor to a wider campaign in the New Year.

The issue is of course that despite the Government's own figures showing that 40% of domestic violence victims are men (link), they refuse to run a domestic violence campaign for male victims. This is sexual discrimination against men, plain and simple.

Basically, it confirms what we all know - the Government believes only women can be domestic violence victims and only men can be the domestic violence perpetrators.

FIRST RATE WELSH SELECT COMMITTEE REPORT ON DOMESTIC ABUSE

Unlike the Scots (link), the Welsh take supporting male victims of domestic abuse seriously. There are some male refuges and the Welsh Government fund the excellent Dyn Project (link).

Last week, The National Assembly for Wales’ Communities and Culture Committee published a report on domestic abuse in Wales (press release, report).

In the press release, they declared "Consideration to be given to the needs of men from different backgrounds and circumstances affected by domestic abuse."

Their Recommendation (number 8) makes it clear that the Welsh Government must make sure their action plan supports men, as well as other groups. Too right.

A couple of asides worthy of mention show there are some other issues.

Paragraph 6.1.9 states that "The Committee appreciates the concerns expressed by some women’s groups that the lack of a gender specific definition is leading to increased pressure to divert the limited resources currently allocated to supporting women-only services towards mixed or male-oriented support services."

What this is really saying is that women's groups in Wales don't like and don't want resources spent on male victims, only on women. The cat is out of the bag. How in keeping with equality is that?

Paragraph 6.2.8 also highlights problems with female victims who need refuge space for them and their children but if they are boys this can be a problem. So what are the mothers and refuges to do? Leave the boys with a violent man?  

 

THREE REAL-LIFE CASES OF DOMESTIC ABUSE AGAINST MEN

Whenever anyone hears claims that domestic violence and domestic abuse does not occur against men or is not that serious, then these, amongst many cases should be sent to the non-believer.

News Shopper

Bury Free Press

Metro

The Bury one is disturbing because the sentence is an absolute joke. Can you imagine the outcry if it was a man who had thrown a knife at a woman for not cleaning the kitchen properly!