violence against women. This is especially true if the violence is of a domestic nature. Police, neighbours and friends have developed the habit of turning a blind eye and distancing themselves from "domestic matters'' which are in truth criminal matters. Far too often the violence has to be extremely severe before any action is taken or any effort made to intervene.

Sometimes intervention comes too late.

We have been promised some protections for women, like an anti-stalking law, but nothing much seems to get done. Every time there is a horrible incident we talk a good deal but the concern soon disappears. We are often told that women can get a restraining order but we all know that they are hardly worth the paper they are printed on. Who enforces them? No-one unless there is even more violence and sometimes not even then.

For reasons which are hard to understand, especially hard for the victims to understand, we seem to view domestic violence as much less serious than very similar violence against a stranger. What is it exactly that we think excuses a violent wife beating? It may be the old idea that there are two sides to every story or it may be the male ego saying: "She probably deserved it.'' Of course there are two sides to every story but domestic disputes should stop short of violence. If they do not, then they clearly become a criminal matter.

Too often the Police know violence has taken place in domestic situations and then drop the charges when the woman, after considering the publicity or after being intimidated by the man's relatives or friends, or the man himself, tries to withdraw the charges. If a charge is laid and it is justified then it should become a Police matter and the Police should proceed just as they would in any criminal action. Violence should not be "different'' or less severe or less important simply because it occurs in a domestic setting. The court system often follows suit and seems to have trouble deciding how to sentence men who offend against women, especially men who offend against their wives and girlfriends. This problem stretches from Magistrates' Court to the Court of Appeal.

There have been several very questionable sentences recently. Sentences for domestic violence give every appearance of being less severe than other sentences for similar non-domestic violence. It also seems to us that men charged with domestic violence sometimes get special consideration simply because the actions took place within the home or family. There is little justification for that in 1995 unless judges still view women as chattels of the man.

Violence is violence, domestic or not, and sentences should be in keeping only with the extent of the violence and the accused's previous record.

It may well be that in Bermuda we need to be sensitised to domestic violence.

We also need to make it clear to the Police and the courts, and the legal profession, that the fact that violence is domestic in nature is not and should not be a mitigating factor.