Battered women back bill

Press, 19 August 1978, Page 6

Battered women back bill

"A positive step forward” is the reaction of the Battered Women’s Support Group to Mrs Mary Batchelor’s private members’ b 11 on domestic violence. The bill proposed bv Mrs Batchelor I Lab Avon) tions against wife or child bashing. It would allow one partner to take out injunc’i ns as a protection against against molestation of a The Battered Women’s Support Group particularly suports provisions for the wife to have her partner excluded from all or part of

’[the matrimonial home with-itt .lout her having to leave the In (I house. Igi -i Mrs Batchelor says her bill! ’ is based on the English lawitl which applies during an Ip: ; : existing marriage and not st ) just after a separation order m . had been taken out. Icl i ‘‘This bill would offer in- ? creased protection to women - and children who are being b: t beaten, and we don’t see-lc r how any member of Pariia- si i ment could vote against othat.’’ said a spokesman for h: 5 the group yesterday. st « Sometimes non-molestationj n ’ ej orders could take up to six n ' months, or more, to become it! f final. During that time a bat-i

iered woman and her child•en were dependent on emer»ency aid. Provisions in the bill put :he property rights of the jarties second to personal rights. “Surely the imnediate safety of women and children should come first,” said the spokesperson. During the first reading debate on the bill, Mrs Batcheor said a domestic section ihou’d be set up within the lolice force. They should lave special training and the section should have equal lumbers of male and female members, she said, reports he Press Association. She suggested that they

-j should assemble files on - j families with a history of doi mestic problems, education rjof families in domestic mat;iters, liaison between welfare . | organisations, and Child Wel.|fare. j “The bill,” she said, was; •Inot perfect but it was “aj 1 start.” She urged that it go be-! 'lfore a select committee so in-j 'jterested parties could make; ’ submissions and possibly irn-l ; prove on it. Faults in the bill included; I 'its failure to deal with rape J ‘I in marriage and that it made! ’(no provision for mandatory; :counselling or psychological! i treatment, Mrs Batchelor j j 1 said. i