RCMP more willing
to charge batterers
By LIZ DELAHEY 3 J ^ 1
EDMONTON ( Staff) — On
average a woman is beaten 35
times berore she calls the police,'
Set. Wayne Gesy told the Alberta
Womeii's Institutes!
The RCMP co- ordinator of violence
and victim service for
Alberta said there is a pattern of
tension building, abuse, release of
tension, remorse and a so- called
lioneymoon stage when the marriage
is blissful. Then the cycle
begins again. But each time a
beating occurs, the honeymoon
period is shorter and the abuse
becomes more frequent.
That is why the RCMP lays
charges if they find evidence of
abuse, Gesy said. They know it
has probably occurred many
times before and may become
worse the next time. A wife may
try to withdraw the charges if the
couple is going through the honeymoon
phase because she
believes it will never happen
again.
Police attitude to spouse abuse
is gradually changing, much as
society's is, Gesy said. At one
time it was felt what went on
within a home was strictly a family
affair, but more and more
abused wives, or other family
members phone the RCMP for
help because they can't stand the
violence any more. And society is
saying wife beating is no longer a
private matter.
For the past three years in Canada,
Gesy said, the police have
had the power to lay charges if
they feel there has been an
offence. If they feel the evidence
is not there, they can instruct the
assaulted party to lay charges
themselves.
The RCMP can only arrest and
detain a man who has beaten his
wife if they have to preserve the
evidence at the scene, or if it
appears the person will repeat the
offence, or will not appear in
court.
If the police are called to the
scene and there are signs of a
fight, the wife has a black eye, but
the husband has calmed down,
has a steady job and isn't likely to
leave town, he cannot be arrested.
Police often have the attitude
that they'd rather not become
involved because spousal disputes
were the number two cop killer in
1982 and because they often see
the victim return to the abusing
husband.
Because laying charges is discretionary,
training police officers
to change old attitudes is necessary,
Gesy said.
A man who beats his wife tends
blames everyone but himself for
events that occur and generally
expresses his emotions in anger.
He is dependent on and possessive
of his spouse and tries to
control and dominate. He thinks
it is his job to keep the family
in line. The batterer generally
comes from a home where wife
beating has occurred before.
The victim has usually been
raised to be a good wife and
mother and feels that somehow
the abuse must be her fault.
No one agency can effectively
deal with the problem of wife
abuse, Gesy said. It takes the cooperation
of police, social services,
mental health agencies and
victim groups working together.
People in s h e l t e r s can help
explain to police why the victim
keeps returning home, Gesy said.
The RCMP sergeant urged
AWI members to become involved
by gathering information at the
local level on the severity of the
problem, preparing directories
and looking at the victim services
available, watching out for children
whose behavior indicates
there is something wrong at
home, and establishing temporary
safe homes in surrounding communities.
Above all, get involved and let
the victims know they are not
alone, that it does happen to
other people and that there is
help available, he said.
