challenging institutional disbelief around domestic & sexual violence and abuse
This is in response to a terrible article by a woman called Alessandra Stanley. Whilst it’s not very “sisterly” please forgive me as I was white hot with outrage at the time. I am so ridiculously pleased to see women succeed and rise to power, especially in competitive sectors like TV production/writing, that I feel […]
On Wednesday afternoon, when I got back from work I sat at my PC and watched the Alan Titchmarsh Show. I can’t say it’s something I’m proud of, but I was keen to see it as I knew Laura Bates of Everyday sexism was on the programme discussing whether or not sexism still exists. I […]
In The Times today a report by Andrew Norfolk and and Billy Kember states that Shaun Wright knew for years that local girls were being “groomed and ruthlessly abused by men” in Rotherham.The majority of the people who have looked at this case since the Alexis Jay report have shaken their heads sadly at the […]
(This piece was originally published at Reading Medieval Books) Today – when I should have been looking for a house to rent for my new job – I read an article in the Guardian by Rhiannon Lucy Cosslett on the subject of victim blaming. It was provocatively titled “Have accusations of rape victim blaming gone too far?”. As […]
Next Monday, two amendments to criminalise revenge porn will go to the committee stage in the House of Lords. For those who don’t know, revenge porn is non-consensual pornography. It’s where a person uploads an explicit image of somebody without their permission. Often the victim’s name and contact details are attached. Not only is it […]
In case you haven’t heard, our national treasure, Stephen Fry, reportedly waded into the murky topic of Operation Yewtree and historical sex crimes whilst speaking at a Labour Party dinner. He allegedly ‘went off on one’* and thinks there should be tougher laws to discourage people from inventing false claims of rape and sexual assault. […]
Ray Rice, a member of the Baltimore Ravens in the NFL, is waiting to learn what his punishment will be for violating the NFL’s “personal conduct policy”. Rice’s “misconduct” resulted in him being indicted for aggravated assault. Personally, I’m not entirely certain hitting a woman so hard she ends up unconscious and then dragging her […]
“Husband murders wife who left him” – BBC News The murderer of Caroline Parry was her former husband whom she had left after enduring 27 years of abuse from him. The article gives examples of his extreme emotional and psychological abuse, controlling behaviour, and his obsessive response to her eventually leaving him to live with […]
If you ever doubted that male violence against women is laughed at, minimised or normalised by the media – then consider this Headline ‘Drunk East Lancs man breaks order by stripping to underpants and jumping into bed with ex’ The actual story is – A young woman obtained a non-molestation order ‘following an alleged assault […]
We welcome an open inquiry into the allegations of a cover up of child sexual exploitation, assault and rape within Westminister, however, any inquiry must put the needs of victims first which includes a right to privacy and the choice to testify. We would also ask that all parties involved in the inquiry undertake specialist training […]