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Saturday, April 07, 2007

RADAR's lobbying against International Violence Against Women Act

Email from RADAR.........

All –

We have now finalized our letter to Senators Biden and Lugar – see below and attached to this message -- and our letter now has 37 co-signers from 10 countries – what an accomplishment! Thanks to all!

This is our game plan: Republican Senator Lugar is still on the fence. If we can persuade him to not support I-VAWA, the chances are very good we can stop this dangerous bill.

This coming week, we want to ask you and the members of your group to contact Senator Lugar. So today, please advise your members that the BIG PUSH will be this coming week. We want to ask your members to e-mail, telephone, and/or send a fax to Senator Lugar.

Here’s his contact information:
E-mail: senator_lugar@lugar.senate.gov
Phone: +1-202-224-4814 FAX: +1-202-228-0360

The message should be simple, polite, and short – something like:

“Senator Lugar, please do not support the International Violence Against Women Act. I-VAWA would be harmful to families, children, women, and men.”
Remember that we succeeded last fall at the United Nations. We can do it again.

Cheers,
Ed

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Open Letter to Senators Joseph Biden and Richard Lugar
Regarding the International Violence Against Women Act

April 13, 2007

Dear Senators Biden and Lugar:

Domestic violence is an important social problem. Around the world, research conclusively shows that women are at least as likely as men to engage in partner abuse.[1]

In recent years, several countries have passed laws designed to stop partner abuse. One of the major reasons these laws have failed to stop domestic violence is because they have not provided needed services to female abusers.

In addition, these laws have resulted in widespread civil rights violations of persons falsely accused of abuse. These are some examples:

· In Australia the federal government has run advertising campaigns that falsely portray only men as perpetrators. Refuge (shelter) services are provided exclusively for women. Anger management services are available for men, yet there are none for violent women. One Auditor General report found that only 9% of restraining orders that are granted based solely on the assertions of the “victim” are found to be legitimate and continued when the alleged perpetrator is able to give their side of the story.[2] In Tasmania , the Family Violence Act of 2004 defines both economic and emotional abuse as criminal offenses.
· In Canada, the domestic violence laws are systemically applied on a gender discriminatory basis, as a result of federal and local legislation, regulation, and enforcement policies. "This is contrary not only to Section 15 of the Canada's Charter of Rights and Freedoms but to international conventions such as Article 7 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and Articles 2 and 26 of the International Convention on Civil and Political Rights."
· In Germany, the Force Law (“Gewaltschutzgesetz”) allows alleged aggressors to be expelled from their residence for up to 14 days while ignoring the presumption of innocence. Michael Bock, professor of criminology at the University of Mainz, commented that the Gewaltschutzgesetz “gives an effective tool to the hands of mothers who want to separate children from their fathers. ... It is not meant to start a constructive dialog between the parties, but to expropriate, disempower, lock out, and punish men.”
· India enacted its Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act in 2005, which defines domestic “violence” broadly to include any form of physical, emotional, or economic abuse. False allegations of abuse have now become common, resulting in many husbands taking their own lives.[3] The Cruelty Against Women Law “Section 498a” has been widely abused leading to arrests of innocent elders and women. The Indian Supreme Court has termed this as “legal terrorism.”[4]
· In Mexico, the domestic violence law came into effect in February of this year. Under the law, men found guilty of being jealous or even sexual indifferent to their wives could face up to five years in prison.[5]
· New Zealand passed its Domestic Violence Act in 1996. As a result, according to Casandra Hewitt-Reid, “it is possible for a perfectly innocent man, who has done nothing outside the law, to be sent to prison on one person’s unsubstantiated word.”[6] Recently, two top researchers accused the New Zealand Families Commission of “ideologically driven” bias in its portrayal of domestic violence.[7]
· Spain passed its Integral Law on Gender Violence in 2004. Recently the Dean Judge of Barcelona Maria Sanahuja criticized the Law, saying it has brought about the “massive detention of men for scarcely any reason” which she condemns as “a repugnant violation of fundamental rights.”[8] Following implementation of the law, the number of intimate partner homicides of both men and women increased.[9]

It has come to our attention that consideration is being given to an “International Violence Against Women Act.” This bill is based on a flawed World Health Organization survey that neglected to survey men and therefore failed to reveal the extent of female violence. Based on descriptions of I-VAWA, [10] we believe that passage of this bill would not only fail to stop partner abuse, it would also inflict serious and lasting harm to families and children around the world.

We, the undersigned organizations throughout the world, strongly urge you to speak against the International Violence Against Women Act.

Signed,

Australia:
Tony Miller
Dads in Distress, Inc.

James Adams
Fathers-4-Equality-Australia

Brett KessnerMen’s Confraternity

Sue Price
Men’s Rights Agency

Edward Dabrowski
Shared Parenting Council of Australia

Canada:
Georges Dupuy
Coalition pour la Défense des Droits des Hommes du Québec

Earl Silverman
Family of Men

Kris Titus
Fathers-4-Justice Canada

Daniel Laforest
Fathers-4-Justice Québec

Brian Jenkins
Fathers Are Capable Too: Parenting Association

Lise Bilodeau
L’Action des Nouvelles Conjointes du Québec

Jean-Claude Boucher
L'après-Rupture, Inc.

Brian Johnson
Regina Shared Parenting Network

John F. Smith
World Father’s Union

Czech Republic:
Eduard Bakalar
Consultancy for Divorcing Parents with Children

Jiri Vodicka
PVVP - Real Equality

Jiri Solc
Cesky Svaz Muzu

Lubos Patera
Spravedlnost Detem

Germany:
Dietmar Albers
DAS Familienrecht

Dr. Eugen Maus
MANNdat e.V.

India:
B.S. Saraswathi
Asha Kiran

P.R.Gokul Protect Indian Family Foundation

Uma Challa
Save Indian Family Foundation

Ireland:
Mary T. Cleary
AMEN – Abused Men

Nora Bennis
Mothers At Home

Roger Eldridge National Men’s Council of Ireland

Netherlands:
Ad Verdiesen
DivorcedDads/Family4 Justice-Netherlands

Th. M. Nieuwenhuizen Netherlands Foundation for Parents without Access

New Zealand:
Jim Bailey
Hands on Equal Parents

John Potter
Masculinist Evolution New Zealand

Spain:
Antonio Luengo
Asociacion para el Estudio del Maltrato y el Abuso

Antonio Javier Morcillo y Martínez
Grupo de Estudios - Padres e Hijos

United Kingdom:
Erin Pizzey
International Founder of Refuges (Shelters) for Victims of Domestic Violence

John Bannon
Familieslink

Artur J. N. Oborski
Families Against Rough Treatment

David Hughes
ManKind Initiative

Anne Harris
St. Neots Abuse Project (SNAP)







[1] www.mediaradar.org/international_dating_violence_study_results.php
[2] www.audit.wa.gov.au/reports/report2002_05.html
[3] http://suicidenoteofhusband.blogspot.com/
[4] www.498a.org/contents/judgements/SupremeCourtJudgement_LegalTerrorism.pdf
[5] http://www.wnd.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=54439
[6] http://nzmera.orcon.net.nz/femfasci.html .
[7] http://subs.nzherald.co.nz/section/1/story.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10410452
[8] www.mediaradar.org/barcelonaJudgeCriticizesGenderViolenceLaw.php
[9] http://www.mir.es/MIR/Publicaciones/catalogo/anuarios/anuarios05/anuario2005.pdf
[10] www.endabuse.org/programs/printable/display.php3?NewsFlashID=771

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Peace - UK writes.....so bad all this is happening in India. OK problems are there all over the world but something like this you read here to happen in this century is a backward step in Indian politics. People in UK are also stuck in this type of false accusations from Indian ladies and fear to come there as the cases take about 5-6 years to clear and much money can be asked for as you go along to prove your innocence. Kissing scenes are not allowed on Indian screen as that does not happen in India openly.....censor board manages to do the job alright there. But Business corruption, politics corruption and corruption in police station type scenes are allowed to be shown by the censor board and this can mean that these things do happen in India on very regular basis. And the politicians probably think that the movies will change India. And to bring in such one sided Penal codes and DV laws mean more movies are needed to change India!!! Very confusing as India tries to modernise.

Anonymous said...

Same old corruption and the bribes are now even bigger. Poor have no chance the way the politics is organised in India. A new Gandhi will be shot dead by the Indian politics on the same day.....it seems as bad as that. A country that invents the one sided penal code 498A to trouble and extract money can do anything...Peace UK

IPC 498a provides for arrest of the offender(s) as named by the wife in a written complaint submitted to the court or magistrate.

An offence under this section is Cognizable (arrest before investigation), Non-Compoundable (case cannot be dismissed even if complaint is withdrawn) and Non-Bailable.

These provisions allow offenses under this section to be treated on par with offenses such as murder.

This law assumes the accused to be guilty until proven innocent. The statement of the wife is assumed to be candid and truthful in all respects. No evidence needs to be furnished by the wife.

PEOPLE HAVE COMPLAINED FOR AGES AND ARE NOT ABLE TO VISIT INDIA IN FEAR OF BEING STUCK THERE FALSELY FOR 5-6 YEARS. People in India are already in more trouble as are arrested within seconds of a false complain...Peace-UK

Anonymous said...

I think Shilpa said something in the line of... he is from overseas and different culture and needs to be treated well specially when he is doing so much for India. May be an Indian guy who if had done the same to Shilpa might have faced the Indian penal code 498A or the DV law introduced by an Indian lady law maker??? For those who dont know what this penal code misuse is can check the internet for it. The overseas guys stuck in this misuse of the law by Indian ladies will know better. They cant even return to India in fear of being troubled for about 5-6 years. Nothing is likely to happen to Gere. How India will face this challenge now???!!!

Anonymous said...

You know when someone asks what shall we do with the man and another might say...burn the body and bury the ashes as they dont want to take any chances.

That is what the Penal code 498A and DV Law is.

A lady uses the police when she decides to misuse the law. And the locking up on the spot etc etc takes place the same time. Seems lady law makers felt so insecure and rushed blindly to make the law in their favour!!! And here we are in 2007 when India talks about modernisation. Legal terrorism as they have called it in India.

Anonymous said...

Peopla are dieing due to the misuse of Indian Penal Code 498A and DV Law and people and lawyers are interested in Gere - Shilpa kiss???!!! The law makers of this law have left a window open for the legal misuse and they need to be taken to the court for so many deaths. How can they sleep like this???!!!

http://suicidenoteofhusband.blogspot.com/

If this does not open, search in google.

Peace - UK