DV in the news

Over the last few weeks, we have covered many aspects of domestic violence in the South Asian community, including the different forms of DV, the influence of social, cultural, and religious factors, and the role of community-based organizations. What do these add up to the in real world? This week, let’s have a look at some recent news reports about the issue, many of which involve the South Asian diaspora.

While much of the writing in this blog has focused on intimate partner violence, it is important to remember that domestic violence refers to any kind of violence between close family members. Three articles illustrate this:

The first story is from the UK, about a woman who was attacked and left to bleed to death on the street. Much remains unknown about this story; while some suspect that her death was the result of an ‘honor killing’ by her family (for marrying someone against their wishes), others suspect that her husband had a part to play in her death (since, at the time of death, she was trying to get a divorce from him). The next is a news report about an Oregon father who killed his wife, son, and then himself in a murder-suicide, and finally, an article about an Illinois man who set his two young sons on fire.

The next two articles are about different kinds of abuse – not necessarily involving physical or other forms of overt violence, such as those linked to above, but involving issues of coercion, isolation, and abandonment. One is about coerced marriages, and the other is an investigation involving Indian brides abandoned by British husbands.

To conclude on a heartening note, here's an article about the efforts made by the United Nations to end violence against women, which includes the following quote:

"You are a weak man if you use your physical superiority to assault and brutalize women. I will continue fighting until the end of my days for the right of women and girls to live a life free from violence and abuse."
- Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Nobel Peace Laureate