Most people can agree that nothing makes their blood boil more than seeing a full-grown man hit a woman. But with 1 in every 5 women in Australia experiencing some form of abuse; we have come to a level where we need to address it. The new prime minister has vowed to help combat the rising statistics of violence against women; with a $100 million campaign.
This tough new stance on domestic abuse was reflected by the rejection of Chris Brown’s visa; & the AFL’s decision to give out a lifetime ban to the man; who hit a woman in the throat during the Freemantle Hawthorne preliminary final. But will these tough actions help dismantle a widespread negative mentality? Probably not, but we can only hope.
Assault on Female Fan at AFL championships
The assault on a female fan during the AFL preliminary championships in Perth; is arguably one of the most ridiculous examples of out of control football fans. The camera showed a man striking a woman in the throat following a verbal altercation; that sent the woman reeling while the audience jumped to their feet to attack the man.
When the video of the assault surfaced on the web AFL fans; and Australians in general simultaneously facepalmed at the horrible stereotype this video enforces about violent football fans. During the game a total of 11 incidents took place; where security had to kick out unruly fans with only 3 requiring police assistance. But even though most fans at the Perth stadium were on their best behaviour; this shocking video will forever live in infamy.
AFL boss Gillon McLachlan was shocked at the level of intensity of the attack: “Violence in any form is not tolerated in our game,” he said.“But I have to say personally when I see a man striking a woman it makes me incredibly angry. As I sit here as a chief executive representing a league; and I have to have that discussion I can’t tell you how angry it makes me feel. And I am disappointed that I am talking about an issue as outrageous as what happened last night.
Chris Brown Earned Hatred on hitting Rihanna
While this rabid AFL fan has generated an impressive amount of hate from the Australian public; he does have some fierce competition from non-other than Chris Brown. Chris Brown made international attention in 2009 for beating the living hell out of R&B superstar Rihanna. After receiving the incredibly light sentence of 5 years of probation & 6 months of community service; he easily became one of the most hated men in the entertainment industry.
The people still remember this and Chris attracts a ban from touring in Australia this December. He has already been banned from touring in the U.K. & the new prime minister of Australia has echoed that decision. Protesters were pressuring the Australian immigration to stop his tour for months, toting signs that read “I beat women.”.
But will all these new campaigns and public outcry help keep women safe and cut down on the abuse? The problem is that while most people are against such actions it continues to happen. Tough laws often do little to reduce crime; while education is the only way to truly combat this and so far it has been neglected. It’s an inconvenient truth that will never completely disappear, but hopefully, with the correct amount of education these acts of violence will at least be reduced.
