Monday, December 6, 2010
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
A view from Singapore,
Replace Women’s Charter with Family Charter
The current surge in gang violence, that not only leads to injury but also death, amongst youths is something we have not witnessed before. Over the last five years, I have been hearing from friends who are police investigators who pointed out to a rising trend in youth gangs, youth violence and juvenile crime across a certain section of youths. My police friends explained that though it is unclear if overall youth crimes and violence is increasing, the rise within that section of youth is worrisome. One police friend shared with me about an incident in Far East Plaza about 5 years ago whereby a CID officer was chased by a group of youths armed with parang. My police friend said “when in the history of Singapore have we ever seen CID officers running and youths chasing and also with a weapon… CID officers always have had a fierce reputation whereby only others flee at their sight”. Another police friend told me that he has been seeing an increase in crimes involving youths as young as 17 years old carrying weapons and stealing or robbing. As I stated earlier, this thing has been a rising trend for last five years. Though the field police officers want to combat this, the police management basically takes the usual complacent Singapore civil service attitude of “lets not open a can of worms”.Each time my police friends share these stories with me, I always asked them what they thought was the common root problem. They cited that these kids often come from divorced families or seperated parents. They shared that unlike in earlier decades where the divorce families were also often associated with other problems, lower literacy and lower socio-economic status, these kids often do come from families where their single parent having care rights and control rights over them are white coller, well educated and coming from good socio-economic background.
The police officers blamed how womens’ charter was radically implemented in Singapore and pointed out that the women’s charter though having empowered women have instead failed to put in place checks, create a balance or moderation in that empowerment process to allow a peaceful co-existance between seperated or divorced parents for the benefit of the children. When I went to review the women’s charter with friends from other countries who are trained legal experts, they pointed out there is absolutely no check, no balance to prevent even the worst abuses by women against their husbands or ex-husbands. They also pointed out that the womens’ charter has in place only weak, useless and superficial processes for amicable dispute resolution between the mother and father of the child. Instead what is in place is legal ballistic weaponry for full battle against the husband. Hence when the typical mechanisms in the womens’ charter are extremely hostile towards one gender, given seperations/divorces/custody disputes/alimony disputes/maintenance disputes are essentially domestic problems the dispute then only grows bigger and not smaller and drags for a longer period than concluding faster.
When the couple is facing stress in the marriage, the Womens’ Charter provides greater mechanisms for hostile take out than for peaceful reconciliation. The couple basically have just 2 to 3 opportunities at lame and weak counselling or mediating sessions with the least qualified social workers. If that fails, then what is available is operation ‘take out’. Lawyers whom the couple engage from the beginning aggravate the situation because their remuneration lies when the couple go to court and divorce/annul their marriage. The lawyers profit little in peaceful reconciliations.
After the divorce, during the next few decades when the parents are alive, when there is again dispute over maintenance whatsover there is absolutely no proper mechanisms for peaceful and amicable resolution of the issue. Instead they need to go to court again and courts are by nature not positive mechanisms for family issues. There again the womens’ charter provides another set of ballistic missiles for another operation ‘take out’.
In this whole process, the one who reaps no benefit nor even sadistic pleasure is the children. They face enormous mental pressures in such situations. Watching their parents tear each other apart in court itself is not a pleasant experience for them. It does not help their self-esteem at all when they see their friends having normal families doing families activities. Even when the parent remarries, the child cannot refer to that person as father or mother in the presence of his/her friends like how their friends do. The parents also try to make up for the situation through pampering.
I annaecdotally surveyed children from a 2-3 families in Singapore, Malaysia and Indonesia where the parents divorced and the kids grew up in such a divorced family. I found that in those families in Malaysia and Indonesia where they had great extended family support or relative support or neighbours support on a daily basis, they turned out well in terms of completion of tertiary education, non-participation in crime or violence, non-participation in drugs/smoking/alcohol etc. On the other hand, in the Singapore case since there is no support on daily basis from extended family, neighbours or relatives, the kids tend to end up with the wrong company of friends and aimlessly search for a purpose and self-worth in life and try to achieve it through risk taking activities such as gangs, sex, alcohol, drugs, violence, smoking.
What is clear is that though Womens groups in Singapore, where lawyers are largely represented, may proclaim victories in being able to set up punitive legal mechanisms within the Womens’ charter, they need to claim resonsibility in creating hostile environment for divorced couples to sort out their families issues over their lifetimes and in that process affecting a generation of kids pushing them to resort to directions which society can ill afford to see them head into. They need to take responsiblity for destroying the destiny of a generation of divorced children in order to protect the well-being and rights of divorced women.
What is required now is action to replace the Womens’ charter with Family charter which creates not just checks but also balances and which ensures the lifelong well-being of the child is protected. The primary focus should not be about only the protection of women but instead women, children, men collectively. The reform of the Womens’ Charter to Family Charter need to be headed by non-lawyers and instead by social workers, psychologists and psychiatrists.
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Singaporean ObservorSunday, November 28, 2010
Court urged not to jail genital burner
Court urged not to jail genital burner
By Rebecca Brice
Updated Wed Nov 24, 2010 1:00pm AEDT
http://www.abc.net.au/news/
A court has been urged not to jail a woman who burnt her husband to death in what her lawyer has called a momentary lapse of control.
Defence lawyer Lindy Powell said the woman should be sentenced on the basis that she had planned to burn his penis as a minor circumcision after learning he had been having an affair.
Ms Powell said Narayan did not mean to kill the man but made a split-second mistake after he had insulted her.
"She had indeed what might be called a loveless marriage, a marriage devoid of love and affection," she said.
"It goes without saying that Mrs Narayan was devoted to her husband and family. She is deeply remorseful.
"The nature of this particular case is such that one might think or ask 'What is actually to be served by imprisoning Mrs Narayan?'
"If the fundamental purpose of punishment is protecting society then Mrs Narayan doesn't present any risk whatsoever."
Two of their three children gave evidence for the defence about years of physical abuse family members had suffered at the hands of Mr Narayan.
Daniel, 21, said the household had had a hostile atmosphere.
He told of intervening on one occasion during family violence.
"At that time my father was punching my mother and so I made him stop," he told the court.
Daughter Jessica, 23, said her mother had rejected her pleas to leave her father because of the violence.
"It was so hard living in such a hostile environment I ended up leaving home, she said.
"It was the hardest decision I ever had to make. It was very easy to live with because my life was much better leaving the house."
The prosecution is yet to make submissions on penalty but Mr Narayan's family has called for the maximum sentence.
By Rebecca Brice
Updated Wed Nov 24, 2010 1:00pm AEDT
http://www.abc.net.au/news/
Rajini Narayan was found guilty of manslaughter for dousing her husband, Satish, in petrol and lighting it with a candle at their home at Unley in Adelaide two years ago.
Defence lawyer Lindy Powell said the woman should be sentenced on the basis that she had planned to burn his penis as a minor circumcision after learning he had been having an affair.
Ms Powell said Narayan did not mean to kill the man but made a split-second mistake after he had insulted her.
"She had indeed what might be called a loveless marriage, a marriage devoid of love and affection," she said.
"It goes without saying that Mrs Narayan was devoted to her husband and family. She is deeply remorseful.
"The nature of this particular case is such that one might think or ask 'What is actually to be served by imprisoning Mrs Narayan?'
"If the fundamental purpose of punishment is protecting society then Mrs Narayan doesn't present any risk whatsoever."
Two of their three children gave evidence for the defence about years of physical abuse family members had suffered at the hands of Mr Narayan.
Daniel, 21, said the household had had a hostile atmosphere.
He told of intervening on one occasion during family violence.
"At that time my father was punching my mother and so I made him stop," he told the court.
Daughter Jessica, 23, said her mother had rejected her pleas to leave her father because of the violence.
"It was so hard living in such a hostile environment I ended up leaving home, she said.
"It was the hardest decision I ever had to make. It was very easy to live with because my life was much better leaving the house."
The prosecution is yet to make submissions on penalty but Mr Narayan's family has called for the maximum sentence.
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
Would-be glamour girl who cried rape to clear drug debt is jailed for 18 months
Would-be glamour girl who cried rape to clear drug debt is jailed for 18 months 'Wicked' scam: Samantha Merry, 21, claimed she had been sexually assaulted to clear her £3,000 drug debt A young woman who had ambitions of becoming a glamour model falsely accused a man of raping her as part of a ‘wicked’ scam to clear her £3,000 drug debt. Samantha Merry, 21, claimed that she had been sexually assaulted by the man in a brutal attack which allegedly happened in front of a group of people. Her victim was arrested in front of his partner and their children at 4am and driven to a police station where intimate swabs were taken and he was held in a cell for 23 hours. He remained on bail for 15 weeks with the threat of a lengthy jail term hanging over him while officers investigated the allegations. Merry, of Great Baddow, near Chelmsford, Essex, is believed to have made up the allegation after her drug dealer offered to cancel the debt if she took action against the man because he had a grudge against him. It was only after CCTV footage came to light that proved the man could not have attacked Merry that he was cleared, Chelmsford Crown Court heard. Merry, an office junior, admitted perverting the course of justice and was jailed for 18 months yesterday. Judge Anthony Goldstaub, QC, told her: ‘Your motivation was entirely for your financial benefit in exchange for the victim’s imprisonment. ‘As a result, your victim’s life became the stuff of which nightmares are made. He remained under suspicion and on bail, expecting prosecution and fearing imprisonment for this crime.’ Judge Goldstaub told her that her lies could stop genuine rape victims coming forward for fear they would not be believed. The court heard that Merry claimed she was attacked on March 3 this year. She made a detailed 13-page statement, leading to a case that cost Essex Police thousands of pounds, including 235 man hours and £3,700 on forensic tests. CCTV footage later revealed that she had lied and on June 14 she was arrested. Richard Stevens, prosecuting, said: ‘She said she had a drugs debt of £3,000 involving crack cocaine. The dealer had told her to accuse the victim of rape and it was her hope that doing so might wipe her debt.’ Paul Donnegan, defending, said his client had no previous criminal record and had suffered abuse in the street since she admitted to lying. But the judge turned down pleas to spare her prison, saying it was a ‘careful and wicked deception’. He added: ‘Some might say if you try to send someone to prison for five or six years you really deserve to go to prison yourself. The effect on the victim is appalling. It was premeditated and mercenary.’ Merry uses the nickname Sexy Sam on her Myspace page on which she writes: ‘Before I met my boyfriend I wanted to get in to some kind of modeling [sic]’. She adds that her ambition is to meet Katie Price. After the case, Chief Inspector Joe Wrigley said: ‘Justice has been done and I hope it serves as a warning to anyone who would want to make a false allegation.’ | ||
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Friday, November 19, 2010
Anger as parents set up online poll to decide on abortion - The Daily Record
The world has lost the plot. Come back soon Jesus, please.
Anger as parents set up online poll to decide on abortion - The Daily Record
Anger as parents set up online poll to decide on abortion - The Daily Record
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
A Powerhouse of Lies in New Zealand
A Powerhouse of Lies in New Zealand
By Men's Activism News | Tue, Nov 16 2010, 09:33 PM
Article here. Excerpt:
'It was a spiel I was used to. When men die on the job, they are not men. They are “workers,” “firefighters,” “soldiers,” and other professional labels designed to distract us from the idea that they are human beings. Sometimes, they are even reduced to something as generic as “personnel.”
Anything but men.
And of course I listened to this with the certainty that if by any chance any of those “workers” happened to be female, I would have heard the now ubiquitous woman inclusion. The tour guide would have to work from an amended script, telling us that 16 “workers” died, including one woman.
...
But what got to me, what made my skin crawl and turn a bit crimson, I am sure, was on the wall behind me; a backlit testimonial standing above the row of exciters in the machine hall.
{image}
It’s worth reading and thinking about. There I was, standing above the plant’s machine hall, housed in a space carved out of a million metric tons of solid rock, listening to a female plant employee tell me about the “workers” that died building her place of employment, with a glowing sign on the wall behind me that cast the men who did it all like a bunch of drunks and derelicts.'
'It was a spiel I was used to. When men die on the job, they are not men. They are “workers,” “firefighters,” “soldiers,” and other professional labels designed to distract us from the idea that they are human beings. Sometimes, they are even reduced to something as generic as “personnel.”
Anything but men.
And of course I listened to this with the certainty that if by any chance any of those “workers” happened to be female, I would have heard the now ubiquitous woman inclusion. The tour guide would have to work from an amended script, telling us that 16 “workers” died, including one woman.
...
But what got to me, what made my skin crawl and turn a bit crimson, I am sure, was on the wall behind me; a backlit testimonial standing above the row of exciters in the machine hall.
{image}
It’s worth reading and thinking about. There I was, standing above the plant’s machine hall, housed in a space carved out of a million metric tons of solid rock, listening to a female plant employee tell me about the “workers” that died building her place of employment, with a glowing sign on the wall behind me that cast the men who did it all like a bunch of drunks and derelicts.'
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