Thank you, Mr. Lawton, and again thank you for being at the vigil this summer. It was greatly appreciated.
How do I answer this? If you're a defenceless woman or girl and you're being attacked by your male partner.... The statistics show that this is what.... It's a high statistical matter when it comes to males abusing women. How is the individual supposed to try to protect themselves? We look around this committee room. We are bigger than the average woman here. How do they do that? Putting your hands around somebody's neck. Literally saying, “I am going to decide whether I'm going to let you continue to breathe.” With that strangulation itself, if you are charged with it, as my daughter's abuser was on the first offence, how is it that the individual is allowed to walk out of the police station on the very same day?
As Jacqueline mentioned, I have not met her personally, but we are, unfortunately, family.
How are we not monitoring these people? I use that word very loosely. I prefer the word “monsters”.