Survivors’ Voices
This week I went along to Survivors’ Voices, an exhibition of artwork produced by survivors of domestic abuse. It was organised by Oasis and held at the Marine Studios in Margate. To say it was humbling would be an understatement. Perhaps most extraordinary was the art produced by children living at the Oasis refuge. Scanned images of their favourite possessions, such as a plastic Dalek and a fifty-p coin. Plus, the poems and stories detailing lives lived at the hands of abusive men were especially powerful. Oasis do incredible work in the area and if anyone fancies giving a charitable donation their website will tell you how.
Today I read this report in the Guardian, about a woman, Sarah, who accused her husband of rape and was subsequently jailed for perverting the course of justice while the abuser walked free. It reminds that we have quite a way to go before we are effectively tackling domestic abuse in this country. Cases like this are rarely clear cut and most often involve a clash of complex personalities, but still, Sarah clearly wasn’t treated in the manner that she should have. She has since been released from prison but now has a criminal record and is without custody of her children.
Perhaps most shocking is the fact that up until 1991 it was virtually impossible for a married man to be convicted of raping his wife. This was thanks to an edict from the 17th century which stated that “a husband cannot be guilty of a rape committed by himself upon his lawful wife, for by their mutual consent and contract the wife hath given herself up in this kind unto her husband, which she cannot retract.” Thankfully that view has been reversed, but Sarah’s story indicates that our country’s attitude towards survivors of domestic abuse is still arcane, insensitive and largely male-orientated.
I tweeted this next story but it’s worth another mention. Ghaith Abdul-Ahad has this week written a series of reports about time spent with the Taliban in Afghanistan. They are here, and well worth reading. They are, perhaps, what journalism was invented for.
