Sir, - I am carrying out a research project into violence against men by their female partners. I am interested in hearing from victims of this type of abuse, who until now have been afraid to come forward to tell their story.
Male victims of violence find themselves in an even worse position than women because they have nowhere to turn for help. There are no safe houses, no sympathetic ear, no acknowledgement of their plight and most definitely no funding from any source. They feel no one will believe them and they are often ridiculed when they find the courage to make a complaint. They are worried about being perceived as wimps.
Dr Sean Stitt, an Irishman who works in John Moores University, Liverpool, has carried out an extensive study into husband battering. He says it is a widespread and under-reported problem. According to him the problem is as great, if not greater, than wife battering. He will be working with me and others on this project.
A recent MORI poll found that 11 per cent of women said they were abused by their male partners, compared with 18 per cent of men. There are many other English studies which concur with these findings.
Husband battering is a huge taboo and needs to be highlighted and addressed. In fact, we are confronting two taboos here. One is that women can be violent, the other is that men do not retaliate and can be beaten up by their wives.
Domestic violence is not just a "women's issue". It is a social issue, affecting men, women and children. As long as the issue remains polarised by sexual politics, with the woman as victim and the man as perpetrator, just, effective and holistic results are unlikely to result. The courts and the legal system discriminate against male victims and as a result families are being failed.
Confidentiality is both expected and assured in this study.
Finally, I would stress that in no way it this an undermining of the problem of violence against women; it is simply an attempt to examine the other side of the coin. - Yours, etc.,
Chairperson, Issues, St Patrick's Terrace, Navan, Co Meath.