Escaping domestic violence

Quite unexpectedly I got caught up in a conversation, the main participants being two women who were discussing in a very frank and poignant manner the abuse of children and women by their male relatives. 

Interestingly the talk centred mainly on the violence being perpetuated against women by their partners, and I got involved in it principally because I feel very strongly on both issues, which, if not tackled head-on by society at large, could lead to untold damage to the very foundation of our family life, or what has been left of our family life.

What made the dialogue more telling and deeply emotional to me was the fact that the women were victims of serious domestic violence and although certainly they were mainly a bunch of strangers at a business establishment, they did not “put water in their mouth” in expressing their views on what has become a disturbing and heart-wrenching topic with the recent upsurge of this type of crime.

One of them, who recognised me as a Guardian columnist without batting an eyelid, declared: “I know you are going to write about this on Thursday, but please if you do anything, please don’t use my name, you could refer to me as ‘R.’” I honestly did not plan to write about it, but because of the profound nature of the subject and the passion with which the ladies spat out their life stories, I think it wold be a good idea to let my dear readers hear it from two victims themselves.

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