Destroy The Joint!

Dear Destroyers,

It seems like some people, in some pretty powerful positions, are still not getting it. In Tasmania this week, a defence lawyer David Gunson said a 17 year old model “significantly contributed” to her sexual assault. As the ABC reported yesterday, Mr Gunson said a “more sensible” girl would not have gone to a hotel room to meet a stranger.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-03-27/photographer-avoid-jail-after-assulting-teenage-girl/4597582

Could this story get any worse for women? Yes. Judge Peter Evans was reported to have said that the man who committed the sexual assault was “gentle” with the young woman.

In Victoria, another high profile man, Ricky Nixon, gets community work after assaulting his former partner. That’s not blaming the victim – but it undermines the seriousness of domestic violence.

http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/nixon-sentenced-to-community-work-20130325-2gp5v.html

Destroyers, we say enough. Time to demand our law makers and our law enforcers take violence against women seriously and stop victim blaming. Time to enforce the law and hold powerful people to account.

Action stations: email the Tasmanian and Victorian Ministers for Justice. Also ask the Director of Public Prosecutions to investigate these cases on the grounds that both sentences are too light given the severity of the crimes.

Tasmania:
Minister for Justice Brian Wightman: brian.wightman@parliament.tas.gov.au
Director of Public Prosecutions: dpp.reception@justice.tas.gov.au

Victoria:
Attorney General Robert Clark: robert.clark@parliament.vic.gov.au
Director of Public Prosecutions: info@opp.vic.gov.au

And when you write, don’t forget to ask them to sign the joint Destroy the Joint Get Up petition to stop victim blaming. Last week, victim blaming started with John Laws.

This week and forever, it stops with us.http://www.getup.org.au/campaigns/womens-rights/shame-on-blame/shame-on-victim-blame