Crumbs. This is a really hard slog for me, but the brilliance of friends helping to get things on the go for the protest tomorrow morning at 10a.m is magical and so heartening. Special thanks to Eryl and Stevie, Carolyn, Cello, Liz, Iraina and Mo to name but a few.
This campaign isn't about me, just a woman who was brutally raped by ex-senior cop Carruthers in her own home one October afternoon. NO, this is far more than that dreadful afternoon and all the horrors of trying to get justice in court against a senior police officer.
This pension protest affects so many people:
council tax payers in Dumfries and Galloway
income tax payers
future victims of heinous crimes
the perpetrators who think they can 'milk the system' no matter what
Today I was interviewed by a lovely reporter, Helen Pearson, and filmed by a young chap called Ben for ITV Border News for their news programmes tomorrow. Ben did a lovely job of silhouetting me according to my carer - but I couldn't see how it looked as I had to sit tight whilst the whole thing was set up. I have to think of family, of friends and of course there is the safety issue. We filmed courtesy of the Rape Crisis centre in Dumfries. They then interviewed Iraina, the head of the centre and the woman who ten years ago quite literally saved my life.
Brilliant journalist and friend Marcello Mega has come up with some horrifying stats to show the inequalities between victims and perpetrators. To date, before Carruthers got legal aid for his pension, he has received £110,395 in legal aid for his trial and attempts at appeals. He automatically qualifies for £2,100 for 'slopping out' whilst in jail. He chose to go to jail as he chose to rape and abuse women during his career in the police.
So Marcello's comparative figures show that the South-West Scotland Rape Crisis and Sexual Abuse Centre in Dumfries received less money than Carruthers has had to date in legal aid for keeping the service going last year. SWRC&SAC counselled 199 people last year. That is with the help and generosity of their trained and dedicated volunteers. They save lives. People are destroyed by rape and sexual assault. Rape crisis centres help victims to pick up the pieces, help with the head spinning that comes as us victims try to sort out why and what and blame and changes in behaviour as all victims have to come to terms with when confronted with such dreadful attacks.
So let me put this another way:
Carruthers, the perpetrator £111,395+£2,100 v.s.
SW rape crisis centre and 199 people helped on less money.I can see there is no way the two equate and now .....Carruthers is apparently allowed around £100,000 of legal aid to fight for a pension which would make rape a pensionable occupation. Can you see my blood boiling at this inequality?
What does it mean:
it won't help rape/sexual assault victims want to come forward
the pitiful 2.9% conviction rate for reported rapes won't increase
it doesn't give out a helpful message to perpetrators
Worst of all, the many Carruthers victims are helping him to fight this through their income and council tax so it's a double whammy.
as Eryl said on her blog - ENOUGH.
So tomorrow is another day,
one of protest,
a reporter and film crew for an interview for BBC TV's Reporting Scotland,
a radio interview for BBC Good Morning Scotland going out at around 8.15 a.m.
one where there won't be a decision on the pension after all,
but I hope more people will become aware at the inequalities between victims and perpetrators and find out how their taxes are being used.
ENOUGH - but more from me soon!
Wednesday 28 January 2009
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11 comments:
Horrified, just unbelievable.
How do you cope Jane?
Need more with courage like you.
A victim.
'A victim' - firstly I'm so very sorry to hear you're in this bracket too.
Coping is cyclical with me. Adrenaline kicks in (with outrage at this sort of stunt from Carruthers with help from the legal aid board.) When the adrenaline goes down then I flop - like tonight!
Changes have to be made for all victims and so people who have gone through it need to speak out if they can. Just now I can so I do. I want it to be better than this for the survivors.
Take care of yourself and thanks for stopping by. Jane
Good luck tomorrow Jane and keep safe. You should be proud of yourself for the great courage you have shown and are showing and I am proud that there are brave women like you. God bless. I came via Eryl.
I am so sorry to read this. As with Oj over here in America, it just makes your head explode.
I hope the court sees reason.
I am holding you close in my heart.
Gayle
Reading about you on Eryl's blog
{{{{{Jane}}}}}}} from far across the Pond.
You are clear and strong. I will be there in spirit, holding hands and my head high as we say ENOUGH.
xox
PI - many thanks for joining me and for your kind words. This isn't about what happened to me anymore, it's about women having more rights if they fall prey to serial rapists like Carruthers. Redressing the serious imbalance in Scotland.
AP - Thanks Gayle, yes I can see parallels with the OJ case - it's scary. I hope there is a universal justice for men like these. I'm fingers crossed for the outcome too. Many thanks for joining me.
Debra - hi over there! Indeed it is ENOUGH. When perpetrators have more rights than victims you realise that the world is utterly crazy and the system is seriously flawed. That is why this is SO worth fighting for and raising awareness on. I think of the ones who didn't get justice - there are many.
Now to be embraced in the wonderful support from friends, known and unknown, for the tasks of the day! Placards are at the ready for supporters to use. Eryl has more.
Thank you all so much. Jane xxx
Utterly unbelieveable, incredible, and outrageous. I've only just found your blog and read this, after reading kitchen bitch's post, and I'm speechless really. Thinking of you.
as a man who has had two partners who were the subject of sexual abuse i think like my wife you are one of the bravest women
there are no excuses for men in abusing women or any other human being (and vice versa - professionally i have met a number of women who have demonstrated the same traits)
take care and good luck you deserve justice he needs to learn
The Dotterel - many thanks for your good wishes. This is all about trying to make changes for the better and get a better system for everybody. Fingers crossed it achieves something.
Mike D - I'm so sorry to hear of your partners similarly negative experiences. Those of us who comes through these kind of crimes needs a lot of good people around them and determination not to let the evil criminals win. If there could be parity between victims and perpetrators rights then people, like myself, wouldn't feel that we had to take this kind of action. Let's hope it helps those who come in the future.
Hey Lady, I hope you're holding up this evening, you must be knackered. It went well today I thought, and I'm glad it wasn't the final hearing because it means you got the publicity ball rolling, and speedily, in time to make a difference to this case rather than just those that will come later.
The message has been sent, now we all wait with baited breath to see if it's been heard. Placards of love, XXXXXXXXX
Eryl, how can I say thanks and what about the kettle?!
Yep, I'm tired (happily so) and the broadband is playing up tonight so I'm getting hiccuped with emails and comments!
What a day - Stevie was on Newsdrive this afternoon. I recognised his voice! I was trying to work out all the voices of supporters who were kind enough to be willing to speak up about the issues we were highlighting.
Ball isn't rolling ....it's hurtling along now!
Calm classrooms of love to you, Jane xxx
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