The cases of violence against women are truly woeful and worrying. Women are dying far too frequently as a result of domestic violence and random unprovoked attacks. The low numbers of rape convictions are unacceptable in the face of so much evidence and suffering by women. Our society has a major problem which has been neglected. Some folk do not wish to discuss it. It is regarded by some as an unsuitable subject to be discussed in a church context. A very sad, misguided and erroneous attitude, because the church does have a role to play in supporting those who suffer such violence, who need help and justice. There are too many cases where justice has been denied. Our justice system has failed to understand what women have suffered and some of the circumstances of the assaults which have been ignored. Women are now fearful to walk along certain streets, in certain areas and along dark alleyways.
There are, and it is an inconvenient truth, men in our society who have a depraved and decadent view of women. Often we find that rapists and sex offenders have had an unhealthy addiction to pornography. This has given some of them false and dangerous attitudes to women as sex objects and playthings, even prey.
We need to educate our boys and young men in reasonable behaviour, internet etiquette and good sex manners. Sadly Christian morality is unpopular, and we are questioning the understanding of what Christian sexual morality means and involves. As a result we see more broken homes, more socially transmitted diseases and more crime and violence in our society.