14.11.1996
Catalyst of violence
An international day against violence against women has been called for Saturday November 23. Demonstrations and protests will take place across Britain, co-ordinated by the Campaign Against Domestic Violence.
The main focus of activities for the day will be protests outside seven prisons. This is to highlight the fact that at least 70 women are still locked up for defending themselves from violent partners. Some have been jailed for life for killing their partners after suffering physical, sexual and mental abuse for years. Following high profile campaigns, women such as Sara Thornton and Kiranjit Ahluwalia have eventually been freed by arguing that they acted in self-defence.
It is estimated that one in four women experience some form of domestic violence. However, it is often very difficult for women to escape from violent relationships. In the past the official attitude was that what went on between ‘man and wife’ inside their own home was a private affair. Taking abuse was part of the job description of being a female partner.
Only in recent years has domestic violence begun to be recognised as a problem for society. ‘Self-defence’ or ‘provocation’ is slowly becoming an acceptable defence in the courts. Rightly so.
However the Paul Gascoigne episode has shown there is still a long way to go. Following allegations that he seriously beat his wife in the luxury Gleneagles Hotel, the attitude of his employer, Rangers Football Club, reeked of hypocrisy. On this issue there was practically a wall of silence, apart from the comments of Donald Findlay QC, vice chair of Rangers, who stated: “None of us here is going to get involved in somebody’s private life.”
A couple of days later Gascoigne was sent off for kicking an opponent on the pitch and was consequently fined heavily by his club. At best this is an inconsistency, at worst ...
‘Domestic’ violence is a serious issue, like any form of violence. It must not be excused or blamed on the woman. However it is important that the individual perpetrator does not become vilified or demonised. Instead they need help and rehabilitation to overcome such behaviour. Eventually Gascoigne publicly apologised: “I deeply regret what happened with my wife.” He has also started counselling in an attempt to get his behaviour sorted out. However doubt must be cast as to his motive and sincerity when he then states: “My England place is the most important thing in the world to me.”
More refuges, quality alternative housing, decent levels of benefit and rehabilitation programmes for male abusers are all areas that need campaigning around. While taking up these immediate, practical demands it is vital that the source of domestic violence is correctly identified. It is not some genetic deficiency in men, but the capitalist system and the state that defends it which are the real catalysts of domestic violence. Poverty, alienation and the social conditioning of capitalist society which blight many families, one way or another, have a brutalising and destructive effect on relationships.
In Scotland, the demonstration on November 23 will be held outside Cornton Vale prison, Stirling. In this one women’s prison five suicides and six attempted suicides have occurred in the last sixteen months. All the women who died had been charged with petty offences - shoplifting, non-payment of fines, breach of the peace, etc. In response to this epidemic of suicides at Cornton Vale, the Chief Inspector of Scottish Prisons, Clive Fairweather, said: “The effect of sending women to prison could be a factor. It has to be looked at urgently, now rather than later, to avoid the loss of life we have already seen.” In recent weeks the governor has been changed and the new one has given her support to the demonstration.
Changing one governor might alleviate some of the specific problems at this particular prison, but it will have little effect on the overall sentencing policies of the courts. In the last year hundreds of women were imprisoned in Scotland for petty crimes. Courts in the West of Scotland are especially keen to lock women up. They prefer to put women behind bars than consider alternatives to prison.
This is in line with the policies of both the Labour and Tory parties. Michael Howard and Jack Straw are continually falling over each other to see who can be the toughest on crime. ‘Tough on crime’ means who can vilify the most scapegoats and punish the hardest.
One of the few growth industries in Britain today is prison building. Of course with the privatisation of prison services there is a nice profit to be made out of incarcerating as many citizens as possible. This is at a time when public expenditure such as education is being slashed. The answer to preventing ‘crime’ is to destroy the social conditions that breeds it: poverty, alienation and a sense of helplessness. Capitalism and its state, which put profit before need, cannot provide the solution. It is the problem and must be replaced.
Nick Clarke