Published on: July 20, 2020
We, the Student Committee at Students for a Safer NUS, are deeply concerned with the recent sentence issued by District Judge Marvin Bay, with regards to the case involving a 23-year old NUS Dentistry student earlier this year. We are dissatisfied with the verdict of this case as it sets a dangerous precedent for excusing one’s actions based on their current position, be it academically or societally. Not only does such a precedent trivialise domestic violence as a minor offence, it emboldens abusers who may expect mild consequences for their extensively harmful actions. Survivors may also avoid seeking help under the impression that their case will not be regarded with proper consideration and empathy. Without full access to the judgement of the case, we are not at liberty to comprehensively evaluate the legal decision that has been made. However, in our current capacity, we emphasise that our work is centered on supporting survivors of intimate partner violence and doing what we can to promote a safer sexual climate in NUS. Intimate partner violence should be condemned and cannot be excused on the basis of a pre-existing relationship. It is an issue that is not distinct from sexual violence as a whole. Intimate partner violence stems from similar inadequate understandings and misconceptions surrounding consent, as well as the boundaries and power dynamics of a relationship. The failure to curb intimate partner violence reveals the limits in using a security-centric lens in approaching the safety of our communities. Beyond legal remedies and punitive measures, communities need to find means to adopt accountability practices in order to build safer environments. This includes, but is not limited to, 1) strengthening sexual respect and consent literacy, 2) reducing victim-blaming and instead empowering survivors of intimate partner violence, and 3) building capacity and empathy not only within greater communities, but among those directly around us so as to create supportive environments centred around mutual respect and care. As families have been forced to stay at home due to the work-from-home arrangements arising from the coronavirus crisis, the urgency of addressing domestic and intimate partner violence has only been accentuated. In May 2020, gender-equality group Association of Women for Action and Research (AWARE) received 180 calls pertaining to family violence, a 137% increase (adjusted) compared to the number of calls in May 2019, indicating the urgency of the management of such cases. While the case in question does not involve members of the same household, it nevertheless speaks to the real danger of intimate partner violence and domestic violence. This is no longer a societal ill that can be swept under the rug, but should be addressed by informed individuals at its core.
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