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Original poster

'Tragic Family Situation' - murder of children, apparently by their father.

183 replies

Northernlurker · 16/07/2012 19:37

There is a horrible case in the news today. A father and three children disappeared from the home. Today the children were found stabbed and the father appears to thrown himself off a nearby quarry edge.
The police have confirmed they aren't looking for anyone else and one officer commented ''It appears to be a tragic family situation.' Now I have a problem with that description.

What's tragic about this is that three children have been robbed of their lives. It appears that the person who should love and cherish them has planned their removal from the home and then killed them. This isn't an accident. There is nothing inevitable about this crime. It occurred as a result of one person's actions and choices and it's not a 'family situation' at all. It seems to me that describing it as such detracts from the true violence of the situation. The police describe it as a muder investigation. Why not leave it at that? Why the need to soften it?

OP posts:
SardineQueen · 16/07/2012 20:21

I can't even think of reading about a female family annihilator in the papers.
Is that what you mean?
It would be interesting to have some more information on that - what % family annihilations are carried out by men and by women, how the reporting differs, that sort of thing.

Sunnywithachanceofshowers · 16/07/2012 20:21

IIRC there are more male family annihilators than women. But it seems to me that both are on the increase.

So sad. :(

Dahlen · 16/07/2012 20:15

I think I understand what you're trying to say, but you may be jumping the gun a little bit.

Only time and a full investigation will reveal the truth of what happened. Until the facts are known, it is indeed a tragic family situation. My heart goes out to the mother, whose agony must be beyond description at this point.

TBH I wouldn't feel comfortable commenting about this particular case precisely because we don't yet know what happened. It feels very disrespectful to the family. However, if you want to discuss why female family annihilators and male family annihilators are treated very differently by the press, I think that's a very valid discussion for the feminist section.

SardineQueen · 16/07/2012 20:15

NL yes I read the story earlier and also felt uncomfortable with the way it was described / portrayed.

StewieGriffinsMom · 16/07/2012 20:11

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

fairyfriend · 16/07/2012 19:46

Why is this in feminism? I don't understand the link!

FermezLaBouche · 16/07/2012 19:44

A desperately sad situation but I must confess to watching the case closely to see whether it emerges there may have been some infidelity on the part of the mother.
always seems to change the way the case is portrayed. :(

ecclesvet · 16/07/2012 19:42

It's a tragic situation, involving a family. Doesn't seem to soften anything to me.

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