Snared in a vicious cycle

From The Editor’S Desk

ALARMING statistics from Rarotonga in the Cook Islands forces us this month to once again focus attention on a

heinous crime perpetrated against

women in Pacific socities. These crimes of violence are all the more in need of serious and prompt attention because the very nature of our societies makes it

virtually impossible

for the victims to break free from their miserable situations.

We are talking here about rape,

wife-bashing and

sexual abuse. We are also talking here about suffering viol ence at the hands of people women know and are in close con tact with.

Cases of rape are reported to the au thorities and action is usally taken, in that the case is heard be fore a court and the culprit sentenced.

But the attitude brought to bear upon such cases are ques tionable for in stance, the woman’s role in “encourag ing” the crime. Of course, the severity of the sentences have been questioned, es

pecially when they are compared to other violent crimes.

The case of the battered wife is perhaps even more pathetic because she is tragically bound in a vicious trap.

Because the women are often not financially independent they cannot leave. Because the societies in many cases

do not have centres such women can taken refuge in, they cannot leave. And because society generally views such violence as part of a woman’s lot, she is not likely to go against social pressures to escape.

She has little reason to resort to the law for protection. This has been known to

aggravate the situation es pecially if the crime is battery and she has no option but to continue to live with him. Be sides, most law enforcing au thorities in Pa cific countries do not consider wife-bashing a serious crime of violence rather a dom

estic problem

which will sort itself out.

Unfortu nately, unless we take stock of the situation now and come up with ways to remedy it, the injustices against women will continue. □