Another law inspired by the anti-male wing of the domestic violence lobby is having a profound effect on the safety of some women–it’s killing them. There was a terrific op-ed in the New York Times earlier this week (mea culpa for tardiness) on the law that mandated an arrest every times police were called to the scene of domestic violence. It notes:
“But 20 years later, it seems the mandatory arrest laws are having an unintended, deadly side effect. The number of murders committed by intimate partners is now significantly higher in states with mandatory arrest laws than it is in other states.”
Why is this? A lot of women are afraid to call the police if they think it will inevitably result in an arrest. They want to be protected but they don’t want their husband (or partner) carried off to jail. Some simply want to work out the long term problem themselves. This is an important piece and all who care about the issue should read it.
By the way, when I refer to “the domestic violence lobby,” I am not talking about us normal folks who want women (and men!) protected from an abusive spouse/partner. I’m talking about those who see men as inevitable villains, often recipients of federal money to help them support this view.