A lot of murders go unreported or lack details that would impinge on the Men's rights rhetoric. I cannot speak for the families that have suffered directly their own loss, I can only recognise the unwritten code of what is and isn't appropriate to do in the wake of mourning. I can say that being decent, respectful and compassionate is an expectation in any grieving circumstances.
Men's Groups have relied upon success at the detriment of women and children. They were ruthless in their relentless pursuit to own the lives and deaths of children and their mothers without what they consider "interference of government". Current family court laws are a deep reflection of that. The news reports, political alliances of some journalists and the overzealous power of the courts to choose what is reported, what isn't and most importantly how they are reported. Even some scholarly work is left out of family matters.
It was only in the past two years that NSW implemented a domestic violence homicide review board and shortly after that men's rights groups all of a sudden began to interfere with NSW legislation on how homicides are investigated introducing clauses where Families have more power to decide how the investigations are conducted under the guise of "male suicide" . "Families" includes the partner and thus defeats investigating deaths characterised by non forensic investigation as "unsuspecting" including death by strangulation. Therefore, in short Husbands have the legal authority to murder their wives or children as long as it is in a way that is not openly suspicious. They have the legal authority to bar forensic investigation that would otherwise detect deeper findings such as strangulation.
In cases where the media is able to or does report deaths related to family violence, men's groups attempt to either twist the circumstances to suit their agenda, exaggerating findings or argue that the death was irrelevant, especially when the death clearly demonstrates that their agenda would draw upon more cases if their agenda was achieved.
Indecency
On the Forum discussion for Four corners on a murder-suicide where there was a history of domestic violence and the Family Court awarded unsupervised time with him subsequently resulted in the deaths of three little children, "Justice4Fathers" makes the following statement:
From: Justuce4Fathers 16/08/2004 9:46:15 PMSubject: If 50/50 was ordered, would the kids be alive? post id: 147of course they would.when you make the children 'booty of war' then they are directly in the firing line.Interesting to note that before the family court came into being, these cases were UNHEARD OF.There are a lot of deaths on the family courts dorrstep, mothers, fathers and sadly children.stop the evil NOW
Disrespect
Despite news reports at the time of the post clearly stating that the mother was cleared over the deaths of her three young sons being due to a faulty heater, a Senior user of the dads on air forum stated the following:
Aussie FirestormSnr. Registered UserJoined: 01 Jun 2004Posts: 2126Location: Newcastle, NSWPosted: Tue Jun 01, 2010 11:25 am Post subject:What is extremely concerning is the number of reports of mothers killing their children over the last 3 years.For every one report I read about the father being the perpetrator, I read 3 or 4 where the perpertrator is the mother!And who normally takes the children on seperation? The mother ... then children die.When is the government going to wake up, reject feminist propaganda and protect the children from the main perpetrators of child homicide?
A face book page was started that continued with disinformation that the mother was responsible for the deaths even though she was cleared.
Devoid of Compassion
In an article by fathers4justice, commentary on Arthur freeman who has been charged for murder where over100 witnessed him throw his five year old daughter off Melbourne west gate bridge not only sympathised with Arthur Freeman, but also implied that the mother could have done something to stop it.
Yes, Arthur Freeman who must be in a living hell, not just stuck in jail for ever and a day, but having to live with the pain and negative emotions for all eternity, having did what he regrettably did, in the spur of the moment. Wrong place at the wrong time. The stress upon this poor father must have been horrendous for him to have performed such a thoughtless act. Most people who have been up against it with barbaric authorities know the immense pressure one can be under, and everyone knows, it only takes a second for a person to snap.
And then this...
The mother, who is also living a different type of hell must be regretting ever setting foot in a lawyer's office, let alone being induced into going to the Family Court. I'm sure in hindsight she would have done things different if it meant having her darling Darcey still with her.
The underlying tone here of course is if they resolved it out of court aka if the mother just submitted to all demands, then things would be somehow better.
Internet References:
Visibility, Responsibility and Identity in Domestic Murder-Suicide
4corners Forum
Dads on the Air Forum:
Gas leak killed boys at home, mother cleared
Facebook gossip upsets dead boys' family
Who is responsible for Darcey Freeman's Death?
Coroner Reform Welcomed By Rev Nile
