New Zealand Prime Minister, John Key

We expect leadership from our politicians. On occasions we do not get it.  However, when it is the leader of a Western democracy that demonstrates appalling standards it is totally unacceptable.  New Zealand's Prime Minister, John Key, has shown a disregard for the feelings of rape victims and for community standards on two occasions recently.

The Bayside Quilters

Just when you think the world is a cruel place and justice does not exist great kindness and support can enter your life.  The Bayside Quilters have decorated a Christmas tree for SECASA clients.  All the decorations are handmade.  Under the tree are two baskets of presents for people to take when they come for their counselling appointment.  It is a beautiful white tree festooned with dainty decorations all of which have been sewn with love for clients.

Thank you Bayside Quilters for being such wonderful people.

Gender Training For Auto-Rickshaw Drivers in Delhi

In an effort to change the way auto-rickshaw drivers think about women who catch their transport, the NGO Manas Foundation runs training teaching drivers that it is not for them to judge how their passengers are dressed or what time they catch the rickshaw.  With a rising number of reported rapes a number of NGOs are trying to bring about a change in attitudes.  Delhi's public transport operator, Delhi Transport Corporation, started mandatory training in 2014 for rickshaw drivers, bus and taxi drivers and bus security guards.  Although women are, as in all countries, more at risk in their homes given a number of rapes and murders have occurred on public transport it is heartening to know that attempts are being made to address part of the problem.

Chris Brown

A Government with a $100 million family violence package has to sort out whether they want people with a history of family violence obtaining visas. Chris Brown was sentenced to 5 years probation in 2009 for beating up and attempting to strangle his girlfriend. Tickets for four shows in Melbourne, Sydney, Perth and Brisbane are due to go on sale Monday 28th September 2015. The Migration Act states that anyone with a "substantial criminal record" involving a prison sentence of 12 months or more including a suspended sentence can be refused a visa.

Independent Schools

All independent schools take Government money. In return there are requirements in relation to curriculum teachings..  However, it is clear with the recent scandal about Geelong Grammar and now the compensation payment to a school girl victim at the Adass School in Elsternwick that these schools do not have a robust system in place to deal with sexual assaults.  Neither it appears do the senior people and boards of management in these schools believe that they need to be accountable to societal standards of behaviour around sexual assault.

Two young women ordered to be raped for brother's supposed crime

Two sisters from a remote village in rural India have had a sentenced handed down by an unofficial 'court' run by male elders.  This sentence is because their brother is seen as having transgressed against this village's cast system.  The 'court' which handed down the sentence are part of an archaic system of justice that exists in much of rural India.  The penalties handed down usually affect women with the majority being honour killings or sexual 'punishments' which constitute just another reason for men to sexually assault women and hope to get away with it.

Daryush Valizadeh

Mr Valizadeh, also known as Roosh V or Roosh Vorek, publishes books known as the Bang series. He has written 15. These books are a guide to non consensual sex around the world which is rape in a number of countries but unfortunately not everywhere. He has campaigned to end rape by suggesting that it should be made legal. This was in a blog called How to stop rape when he advocated the legalising of rape on private property.  In his view this would lead to women taking greater responsibility for their safety."If rape becomes legal  she will never be unchaperoned with a man she doesn't want to sleep with."

It is always interesting to see the solution being to control what women do and never what men do.  Maybe the better solution in his world is to stop men going out after 6.00 p.m. and never with women they are not related to.  The whole thing is just stupid.

These books are available on Amazon. Have a look at Wikipedia if you want to know more about him. Write to Amazon and object to this kind of misogynist rubbish being given space on their book lists. Not that we are in favour of censorship but we have a right to an opinion on such ill informed, boorish and backward looking views. Amazon need to know how many people object to this type of dangerous nonsense.

He deserves the same protest about his views as Julien Blanc received when he wanted to come to Australia and run workshops that were thinly disguised instructions on how to sexually assault someone.

Sexploitation Advertisements

First we had the inappropriate Body Shop campaign with a naked man covering his genitals with a fig tree shaped soap on a rope with "Get Some of the Good Stuff" as the slogan. We expect better from the Body Shop who markets itself as responsible and aware of social issues.

Young People and Pornography

The 7.30 report is looking for a few young people, over 18 years of age, to take part in an on camera interview about the impact of online pornography on their expectations of a relationship.
Is this scary?  It can be the first time that you do it but if you are enjoying the discussion you stop thinking about the camera.  It would be a useful thing to do to spread knowledge about this issue and contribute to the debate.

Catholic Church Continuing To Utilise the Ellis Defence

Catholic Church lawyers have apparently decided that the Church should still use the Ellis defence. The Ellis defence is based on a 2007 NSW Court of Appeal decision.  This decision found that the Church could not be sued for compensation as it does not constitute a legal entity.This was always a scurrilous argument intended to save the Catholic Church money regardless of the damage to its reputation.

Uber

Uber is basically an unregulated system of cheap transport that is  dangerous for women.  The drivers, whilst having Police Checks, are untrained and it appears unsupervised.  A young woman was sexually assaulted in Sydney a couple of weeks ago by an Uber driver and it was difficult for her to find anyone at Uber who would take any action.

With reputably taxi companies you know that the taxi drivers are trained and licenced.  They have their picture in the cab and there are cameras.  Whilst assaults may occur occasionally you are able to take the number and not only report to the Police but report to the taxi company and the Taxi Directorate.  Hailing cabs in the street is not a good idea if you are alone and have been drinking as there is no record of the trip.  If you ring a taxi company there is a record of the trip and they will know who the driver is.  The driver does not have your telephone number although they will have your home address if they drive you home.  With Uber the driver will have your telephone number as well as your address.

An interesting twist to this occurred when I caught a taxi last week and was told by the taxi driver that he thought he had missed his previous fare as an unmarked car, which he thought was an Uber car, pulled up alongside the women hailing the taxi. She talked to the driver of the car for a few minutes and then walked back to the taxi. The taxi driver asked her if it was an Uber car and she said that it was just a man who stopped and asked her if she wanted a lift into town for $10.  She said she stopped and spoke to him because she thought it was an Uber car.

This is a particularly dangerous development if anyone can pull over and offer a lift and women are stopping to talk because they are becoming used to unmarked cars.

Archbishop Philip Wilson

Adelaide Archbishop Philip Wilson has become the world's most senior Catholic clergyman to be charged with concealing a child sex abuse allegation against another priest.  Whether he turns out to be guilty or innocent it will be heartening for victims to see senior people in the Catholic bureaucracy being called to account for what clearly, in many cases, has been a failure of their duty of care.  The general lack of accountability of the Catholic Church over a number of years has been extremely difficult for victims leaving them feeling that they do not have a chance against a large, powerful institution.

Sexism Amongst Surgeons

Dr Gabrielle McMullin is to be commended to bringing the debate about sexism in the surgical profession into the open.  I do not agree with her advice to young surgical trainees that reporting sexual harassment or sexual assault should be avoided as it may ruin their career  but have found the discussion over the past two days to be a good start at breaking the silence.

Rabbi Yosef Feldman

Rabbi Feldman was a witness at the Royal Commission into Institutional Child Abuse this week.  During his testimony he suggested that paedophiles who had repented and not committed a crime for many years should not be punished.  He also said that he had been making this view public for many years.  "There should be a lot more leniency on people who have shown they haven't offended, in the last decades.  Especially if they have these tendencies and don't act on them."

It is extraordinary that sexually assaulting a child, which can for some children have lifelong effects, is regarded as a crime you can repent from and thus be forgiven.  It is hard to imagine Rabbi Feldman feeling the same compassion for Nazis who were involved in the Holocaust and now believe what they did was wrong. Would he think they should not be punished when found in their old age?  Some crimes should not have a time limit on when you can be prosecuted.  It is a statement about how society views them.

Childhood Sexual Assault and Mersirah

Paedophiles use many excuses to justify their behaviour.  It is the job of the rest of the world to expose their thinking and make sure that children are safe in this world.

Floyd Mayweather

What is it about the Australian Government that they grant visas to violent men or men who preach about violence such as Julien Blanc.  This time Floyd Mayweather is thinking about coming to Australia at the end of the month.   Mr Mayweather has been arrested or cited by Police for 7 assaults against 5 different women.

We Are Not Animals

Why do the various terrorist groups around think they deserve respect when the men who run them rape, kill and mutilate girls.  Do they think we do not notice 10 year old girls blown to pieces by men hiding in the shadows?  If you want to kill women and children and elderly in market places stop being cowards and face those you are murdering.  Do not use small girls who are afraid and not old enough to know what they are doing.

 

Does the man who posted an advertisement selling a young girl in pyjamas as a sex slave think we will not notice?  What sort of men answer that type of advertisement?  Does Boko Haram think that we have forgotten the 200 children they abducted last year even if the Nigerian Government seems to have done so.

 

We have not forgotten them.  We will not forget the small girls with explosives strapped to their little bodies.  Neither will we forgive.  These men under the guise of religion are no better than the men who groom their own and other children for sexual gratification.  It is all about sexual access to unwilling victims.