Govt creates new database to let women harm their ex

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2009/11/20/domestic_violence_database/ discusses a recent ACPO/Home Office proposal that looks at how domestic violence affects women and children, and specifically excludes men. If this is true, it is very disturbing. Violence against women is of course completely unacceptable, but many men are subjected to domestic violence too, which can be just as harmful to them, so it seems rather odd to deliberately exclude them, especially when our government makes so much noise about the need for equality. But leaving discrimination aside, the most worrying thing here is that a database is to be set up that specifically includes claims from women that would not be able to stand up to court standards. That means that any unsubstantiated rumours or malicious claims can be included in the database, possibly trashing a man's reputation, and potentially affecting his ability to forge new relationships (potential partners, or any woman claiming that they are interested in becoming a partner, would be able to ask police for any data). I find it very disturbing that the mere word of a woman should be taken as proof of the guilt of a man. It is not unheard of for women to tell lies. If a relationship fails, it is common for a woman to feel upset, and this system gives her an easy route to cause real and lasting harm her ex with no cost or risk to herself. It is even possible that men who are the victims of violence could then find themselves becoming victim to false accusations of violence against the women who attacked them.

How is it possible to have a healthy society where one gender is presumed in law to be always innocent and incapable of lying, while the other must accept the consequences, however damaging, however malicious? We all know people who would enthusiastically abuse such a system. Creating it gives a powerful new weapon to abusers. Creating a state-backed system to assist partner abuse cannot possibly help when partner abuse is the problem itself.