Why Scotland must treat violence against women as a form of terrorism
Given the terror, injuries and deaths they cause, the justice system must get tough on perpetrators of male violence and society must treat them as pariahs
The murders of Stacy Mair and Vikki Soloman – almost certainly by their former partners, both later found dead – within days of each other have underlined the scale of the problem of male violence in Scotland.
While killers should always bear the primary responsibility for their crimes, it would be foolish not to consider the role played by attitudes within society. In recent years, progress made in tackling sexism has been undermined by the rise of a sub-culture among young men, in particular, who regard women as both inferior and yet also the source of all their troubles.
These weak, self-pitying fools seek to make themselves feel strong by subjugating women and adopting aggressive, ‘hyper-masculine’ views that are the antithesis of what it means to be a gentleman, in the finest sense of the word.
‘Society has changed’
Speaking at a Scottish Police Authority committee, Deputy Chief Constable Bex Smith said violence against women was a priority for the force, with officers dealing with more than 200 cases a day – a staggering figure. However, she rightly added it was also a “societal issue” and that there was a need to make male violence as socially unacceptable as drinking driving.
“... I think society has changed,” Smith said. “We look at online, we look at children now having access to mobile devices. You look at forums that are being developed – the manosphere, the incel culture.”
Members of the older generation who are unfamiliar with ‘incels’ – men who are “involuntarily celibate” and blame women for this – may regard it as passing phase or something fairly trivial. However, the news that a male relative is becoming immersed in these beliefs should be treated the same seriousness as if they were joining a cult or starting to get interested in terrorism.
READ MORE: Stacy Mair: Husband of woman found murdered in Renfrewshire had been charged with assault
Evil, corrupting influence
Given the fear, injuries and deaths they cause, it’s time to call men who think violence against women and girls is somehow justified exactly what they are – terrorists.
Half a century or so ago, ‘a domestic’ – a banal and sinister term for male violence – was too often overlooked, downplayed and covered-up by society. Women were forced to hide their bruises and pretend everything was fine.
If we allow the manosphere to spread its evil, corrupting influence, this could be our future. It’s time for the gentlemen of Scotland to recognise that this is not just a problem for women and they have a duty to take a stand.