Suse and Poirot,

Then we had better disarm the female police officers before some hunk of a homicidal male takes their gun off them.

What would you recommend for a woman in fear of her life to have for the purpose of self defence?
Bear in mind that any recommendation will be illegal because it is unlawful in this country for women to possess ANYTHING for the purpose of self defence.

Would the women murdered in Australia been any less dead if they had been killed with something with which they had tried to defend themselves?

It doesn't seem rational that the women's movement and 'gun control'(sic) activists are relying on the State to protect women,

BUT, and it is a very large 'BUT',

the current discourse on DV and the numbers accepted by government have every woman fearful for her life and limb. It is also alleged to be a 'rape culture' with rape a common event, ENDEMIC and always increasing.

Sexual molestation, rape and violence is the lot of women and girls. It is 'terrorism'. It is inevitable. That is the message of Rosy Baty, the icon of anti-DV. It is why she was made Australian of the Year and why she was given the honor of addressing the federal parliament to set them right.

To be blunt, if the advice being tendered to government is to be believed, the State cannot protect women and girls, not back then, not now and not in the future. The State has not managed to protect women against that claimed tsunami of violence despite the millions being poured annually into women's advocates, lawyers and DV over many years, for decades.

However, if a feral, a man, invades a woman's home threatening her and in trying to defend herself she injures him even slightly, she will be interrogated by police, held and could be arrested and thrown into court where she will be required to defend herself against a REVERSED standard of proof. That is, prove you were really afraid, now how afraid was that again, was it reasonable, you could have thrown yourself out of that sendong floor window to flee instead of hitting the the gentleman with that poker you kept for that purpose etc.

Where the State obviously cannot protect a woman, it is unreasonable that where she is caused to defend herself she may be charged, required to sell her home for her defence against that reversed standard of proof and ultimately end up in gaol.

Sadly it is the criminal that the State has shown it has a duty to protect and has buffed up laws to protect criminals' rights.

The solution that the activists have in mind, is 'Give In and you won't be hurt' or 'Lay there and think of Mother England [or whatever takes your fancy]'.

Governments and the Do-Gooder industry are encouraging domestic violence and violence against women in general..

I have only read some of the posts on this thread, but I am very surprised at some of the responses. The thing is, Bettina Arndt has been around for decades, first as a sex therapist and then specialising in relationships in general. She would have interviewed more couples in that time, than any of you have had hot dinners and it is very foolish to write off her opinion and expertise. She might be controversial at times, but IMO far more realistic and understanding of the real world than most people.

Fact is, this subject is not black and white as some seem to want to claim. Yes there are cases, but in many cases it is far more complex and starts with verbal abuse on both sides and escalates from there.

There is a solution, documented in Goleman's "Emotional Intelligence" Kids at school as young as 6-7 are being taught emotional literacy, conflict resolution skills etc. The results have been dramatic. Less bullying, less violence, issues are addressed and solved before they get out of hand. Any kid can learn it. We should be teaching it at our schools.

The main problem I have read with many posts on this page, are many now have become based on violence (one person, simply attacking another) without considering flow on effects.

That being *all* forms of violence.

1. One time on a bus, a women, her partner and children, were all coming home on a bus I was on. The mother was using vile language all the way home (towards the children), and yet the partner was doing nothing re the issue.

2. In another situation, involving this couple, I got onto a bus and the bus had bad odours of alcohol. I saw the male partner and family, leave at a bus stop parking facility. I hope the male didn't drive home (as he was clearly drunk). These people are not suitable parents.

3. In another situation (on a bus I use) a younger aged woman was very violent towards her boyfriend. She demanded "her" boyfriend not get off the bus, was screaming this out very loudly (and was using the F) word a lot. The bus driver was concerned and didn't know what to do. The male in that case ended up getting out of the bus at a stop he didn't want, and the female chased him into a local park.

4. Finally, when I was aiming to sit down in a bus seat (a middle aged person - looking in his 30's), pushed me into another seat. Other people were concerned. I was asked if I was O.K. I said I was more concerned about his girlfriend, but the problem was that she was agreeing with all of the horrible things he was saying about me after the incident.

People need to discuss relationship issues, before they get together.

On and on it goes, sliding off the issue of domestic violence (i.e. violent criminals assaulting victims) on to what gender the violent criminals are - while ducking the one factor common to every single episode of domestic violence - assault happening because a violent criminal is AT LARGE.

Though no fan of Christian Porter, I swung over to him big time when on a Q and A panel debating DV he was the only panel member to cut the escapist cackle and focus fully on sweeping the bashers out of victims' lives and into prison. He spoke as a former Crown prosecutor often frustrated by pro-criminals' grip on the judiciary and the parole boards. With people like Porter in the Cabinet and the seemingly unstoppable groundswell against basher impunity it looks likely that to start with AVOs will be enforced with gaol for breaches and for assault of every gradation earning serious prison time.

The worm is turning at last! Roll on legislated mandatory sentences.