Don’t punish helpless woman

THE programme Banduan Akhir, Mesej dari Penjara aired by TV3 recently was heartbreaking. “Sofia” will be put to death for murdering a family member.

I write as a researcher who has interviewed women convicted of filicide (the act of a parent killing his or her son or daughter).

These women have had miserable life experiences. From childhood, they usually are not raised properly by their parents. Without parental responsibility these women grow up without direction.

Some continue to live without purpose, being involved in drugs, becoming victims of sexual assault and violence.

Because their childhood and adolescence are usually chaotic, later in life, they are not able to choose an appropriate spouse.

Their miseries continue when many of them become victims of domestic violence. These women suffer mentally and physically as a result of abuse by their hot-tempered husbands.

Many of their husbands are also involved in drugs and not responsible for their welfare and the children. In most cases of domestic violence, the children have also become the victims of a violent father.

The most important underlying factor that needs to be highlighted here is that domestic violence and child abuse often occur simultaneously.

According to experts, between 30% and 60% of cases involving child abuse occur simultaneously with domestic violence.

In Malaysia, according to the Social Welfare Department, every year about 2,000 to 3,000 children are victims of abuse.

According to police statistics published by the Women’s Aid Organisation, every year more than 4,000 women become victims of domestic violence and more than 3,000 women are raped, while more cases go unreported.

It is crucial for us to be aware of the link between domestic violence and why women kill their children.

It is important so that we do not impose more suffering on them. They need help instead of punishment.

Their voice and misery are rarely heard. Their agony of being beaten, trampled on, slapped and abused while watching their children being thrown, kicked and abused are seldom highlighted.

Should women who become victims of abuse be blamed when their children are injured or die as a result of violence committed by their husbands?

In an era where Malaysian society is eager to seek ways to curb the phenomenon of child abandonment or child killing, we should examine this thoroughly.

Root causes of the problem have to be examined, investigated and delineated clearly.

Punishment cannot be an example for others not to commit similar acts if they do not have control over their own lives.

Further punishing the helpless person who herself is a victim is worse than the act of killing.

DR SALMI RAZALI

Psychological and Behavioural Medicine

Faculty of Medicine

Universiti Teknologi Mara