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The Forum > Article Comments > ‘The Butcher of Bega’: a deviant doctor > Comments

‘The Butcher of Bega’: a deviant doctor : Comments

By Sheleyah Courtney, published 18/11/2008

There are the troubling responses by the public and the media to the multiple, grisly crimes of Graeme Reeves aka 'the butcher of Bega'.

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What a convoluted article.

Drawing a comparison between this Doctor, the Bali bombers and the murderers of Anita is really stretching it.

Maybe this doctor contributed "in some cases barely indirectly caused the death of very close to 500 Australian women -"

However I do not know what the evidence shows, but if it is true that he indirectly caused the deaths of 500 women. I some how find it impossible to beleive that this doctor would have been allowed to practice for so long if he was indirectly contribuiting to the deaths of 500 women.

The author then brings up the subject of Jack the Ripper who mutilated his victims and that Jack was protected because he may have been a royal, (this is pure speculation)and then compare this doctor and alleging that this doctor is protected,

Come on!

OLO your standards are falling.
Posted by JamesH, Tuesday, 18 November 2008 10:19:14 AM
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Like JamesH, I find this article a bit over the top. For one thing, the case has not yet gone through the court so much of this is currently sub judice. Also, what I do know about this case has come from the media, including a feature in the Weekend Australian earlier this year that did go into harrowing detail. It was Channel 9's Sunday program that first revealed the story back in February. There have been regular updates as the story has unfolded. This does not indicate that the media are shunning this story because they want to keep it from public view or because it is too horrible to relate. The author comes across as a bit paranoid and her language is quite gothic, detracting from the credibility of the piece.
Posted by Liz T, Tuesday, 18 November 2008 12:38:46 PM
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The subject warrants comment but such purple prose as this has limited appeal, not to mention clarity.
Posted by bennie, Tuesday, 18 November 2008 1:16:21 PM
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This is the first time I understood that the Butcher of Bega had removed external organs of reproduction upto 500 times.

You have to ask
- why didn't the operating theatre staff report him
- why did the hospital allow him to do this more than once
- why didn't Medicare step in, he was either using fraudulent procedure numbers or had higher than normal excision of genitalia than normal doctors

His patients have been poorly served by him, the nursing staff, the hospital administration and the government funding authorities with oversight for health care.

The purple prose obscured the fact that women are still subjected to a misogynistic health care system.
Posted by billie, Tuesday, 18 November 2008 1:24:09 PM
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Gothic purple prose seems appropriate to me in the context of grisly, grotesque gothic-esque acts - if some people find it difficult I would observe that the author's point is being proven by almost all such commentators excruciated responses i.e. whatever keeps you in denial and prevents you from getting transfixed by the horror, the horror! For the true unbelievers that there really could be 500 victims as the author claims there are, why not log on to the latest news - 700 women have reported assault by Reeves as of today: http://www.livenews.com.au/articles/2008/02/26/Calls_for_private_investigation_into_sexually_mutilating_doctor.
Inanna
Posted by Inanna, Tuesday, 18 November 2008 1:42:45 PM
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The point of having a court system is to test allegations there. If the system works properly, this person will be dealt with. At present we have allegations, shocking ones to be sure. Declining to fall into hysteria does not indicate a lack of compassion or ability to be transfixed by the horror. To read into a more measured response some sort of process of denial and desire to push the story into the background is absurd. The fact that we know about the allegations at all is because the media has reported them. Constructing a media conspiracy around this case seems ill-founded. The strongest cases are often best made in simple language. Turning the page purple only alienates people.
Posted by Liz T, Tuesday, 18 November 2008 1:51:12 PM
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