It’s time to get harsh with women’s bullies

Sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never harm me.

That aphorism applies perfectly to the men in this country who abuse women and children.

For the past 30 years, every December, there has been a campaign to highlight gender-based violence and violence against children – a phenomenon in which men are, overwhelmingly, the perpetrators.

Millions of words have been spoken and written and all manner of solutions have been proposed. But not only has the problem not been eradicated or even lessened, it’s actually got worse. Words are wasted on men.

On the other hand, there have been no sticks and stones – either literal or figurative – to break their bones of a culture of violence.

Had men been faced with painful retribution from their victims – through harsh jail sentences, not vigilante violence – then perhaps they may have begun to mend their ways.

We are not condoning vigilante justice… although this is seldom applied to abusers of women and kids.

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However, why has the government done little more than weep and beat its chest about this scourge?

Let’s enact some harsh laws; have minimum jail sentences for assaults on women and children – and life sentences for murders of these vulnerable people.

And violence begets more violence – that is always the danger.

More than that, though, let’s make it a criminal offence – with similar severe punishments – to know about and not report gender violence or assaults on children.

Let’s make it a criminal and firing offence for a policeman (for most of them are male) to discourage women or children from reporting such attacks.

Solidarity with women and children is all very well – but how does it remove these brutal bullies from our society?

We are running out of words. It’s time for legal sticks and stones.