It's more than a week since Jill Meagher went missing from a Melbourne street, but less than a week since a man was charged with her abduction, rape and murder. I feel for Jill's family. More than that, I feel for the friend/colleague who offered to walk her home and didn't. It's just around the corner she is reported to have demurred. All the more reason to insist said a taxi driver to me during the week. I agreed. I wonder if I would have insisted though. It's just around the corner in a well-lit Melbourne street. It was late, but there were still people around. Would I have insisted? Would you?
There's been a lot of commentary in the wake of this event. Of course women should be safe to walk home at night. We shouldn't need to 'watch out' all the time. What concerned me most was the number of women who came forward and said 'it could have been me, I was approached by a man in that very area'. Had we known, we might have issued a warning to women, cautioned potential perpetrators. We could have done something... Do we not report incidents because we don't want to be a bother? Do we think it is not important? You can't solve a jigsaw without all the pieces and sometimes its the tiny fagments that add up to a bigger picture.
I particularly liked this piece about 'don't rape', rather than 'don't get raped'. We need to put responsibility where it lies. http://www.hercanberra.com.au/index.php/2012/10/02/rape-culture/
More to come if I ever find time to write it...
