Friday, October 2, 2009

Testament

The latest police statistics show that 13.5% more 'family
violence' incidents were reported last year, compared
to the previous year, which itself showed a 28.8% rise
in reports compared to the year before that. The head
of the Families Commission, Jan Pryor, is reported as
saying that the rise was to be expected, because the
'existing level of family violence did not occur overnight,
and the increased reporting is a testament to the lower
acceptance of violence in our society.'

By Christ, I hope you're right, Jan. I think you are. The
image that comes to mind is of some hideous misshapen
creature being dragged, limb by limb, claw to claw, fist
by clenched fist, out of the dark cellar where it has dwelt
for years and into the light, screaming and kicking but
rendered, finally, powerless, deprived of the domestic
secrecy on which it has thrived. Bring it on.

2 comments:

Steve Withers said...

Hear hear!

Steve Withers said...

Hit enter too quickly. The images you conjure up apply equally to violence against children...perhaps more so. This places the lower level of tolerance of violence toward children in a different light. Thank you, Sue Bradford and all the other conscious, thinking people who took the time to understand what the changes to S59 were really about and supported the law change.