Women's safety in Europe after Cologne

[DavidTCDaviesMP]

I have been invited onto Mumsnet to discuss the situation for women in Europe following the attacks in Cologne, and the challenge we face in Europe in trying to help millions of mainly young men, who are arriving in Europe from cultures which treat women very differently. I believe this is an issue which needs open discussion by political leaders yet is swept under the carpet. David Davies MP

Is that a EU-wide policy? Will it happen here?

x posts with Britt!

I'm sure none of us want to cause a backlash against genuine refugees so the question is how can we protect our freedoms without doing that?

I am interested to know if a) the police are likely to receive any extra training to cope with mass assaults like this and b) if David Cameron is going to hold firm and only take screened refugees directly from the camps.

Good afternoon, Mr Davies. I add my thanks that you have been willing to speak out on an issue that is unpopular and perceived as politically dangerous, and that you have been willing to give up your time to speak to Mumsnetters and support our petition.

I confess that I am not a Conservative voter. Civil liberties/ equalities/ secular freedom are the most important values to me as a lesbian mother, a feminist and an atheist, and I have always felt closest to the Liberal Democratic position for this reason. I confess, too, that I was previously a supporter of the EU. However, recent concerns about security and democracy in the EU, including Merkel's actions, the mismanagement of events in Cologne, and the situation in Calais, have distanced me from the pro-EU stance and I will probably vote out. When this is coupled with the election of an LD Party leader who is an evangelical Christian, who clearly does not share my values or those that I believe to be at the heart of traditional liberalism, I am left in the political wilderness.

My question, then, is: Do you feel, given the silence and silencing tactics employed by "the left", and even by Conservatives operating under the ubiquitous agenda of Political Correctness, that the time may have come to set up a cross-Party coalition of politicians, academics, advisors etc with the aim of managing threats to women's & LGBTQ rights and protecting secular Western democratic values in the face of mass migration of young men from ME/NA backgrounds with misogynistic cultural values, coupled with the growth of political Islam in the UK? I have colleagues/ friends (a high-ranking female professor and a think-tank member) who have discussed this idea with me and we agree that it no longer makes sense to talk in terms of left/ right or traditional Party divisions and allegiances. There are instead only a minority of individuals, scattered across the political spectrum, who are willing to engage on this and they urgently need to talk to each other. Do you think this is a viable idea? Is this something you would be interested in getting involved with or leading on?

Thank you.

To JanuaryBrown I suggest that you demand that the issue is at least recognised and discussed. Across the Middle East women's rights are virtually non- existent. In many places rape victims are IMPRISONED as they are seen as having "brought it on themselves". Hoe can we make sure that the men coming from these regions have more enlightened attitudes.

Bloody good question there, Jo.

to JoMackl: I would certainly work with anyone left right or no allegiance who shares my concern that women's rights could be effected if large numbers of men with a backward cultural attitude to women arrive in the UK.

January - yes, put your question to David again.

Hoe can we make sure that the men coming from these regions have more enlightened attitudes.
That's what we're asking you, David: are there any processes in train in the EU that you know about to either screen migrants/refugees, and ensure that core European values are upheld? Is there any chance that these could be at least discussed by the sort of cross-party group that Jo suggests?

Dear Mr Davies,

Thank you for participating in the MN Thread and sharing the concerns for women's safety. How does the government plan to enforce an effective strategy that will actually deal with the concerns of the vulnerable.

What can the European Parliament do? What powers do they have?

If they cannot ensure there is enforcement it does not seem to be meaningful.

Thanks

To AnnaForbes : it was either the police acting alone or on advice from above. The press also tried to keep it quiet.

To Lumela: NO! There are no processes in place - unless you count handing out posters to asylum seekers in swimming pools with cartoon images showing that they should not put their hands into women's bikinis. What a joke.

But why did they try to keep it quiet? Is it all part of the bigger plan to save the EU at any cost?

Mr Davies, who do we demand that of? Many of us have written to our MPs and received replies that do not address the issue. I expected my MP, as an openly gay man, to be interested but got a reply all abut how wonderfully we support our European allies

David thank you for taking the time to do this webchat.

I'm interested to know how much correspondence you have had about Cologne among your own constituents and, also, what sort of responses you have received (if any) from constituents regarding your own views on what happened - are your own views supported?

toMarsicalRoad: as far as I can see, there are no plans at all to even acknowledge the problem let alone do anything about it.

David - vladimirsoftless asks you this question -

Would you say that the unprecedented ongoing mass influx of single male migrants entering Europe in an uncontrolled fashion brings with it an increased incidence of sexual violence?

And would you say that native European citizens who are vulnerable to being raped (boys, girls, women, elderly) are at increased risk of being raped because of this mass exodus?

If yes, how do you suggest we British politicians can deal with this effectively?

A lot of emails from people across the UK not limited to Monmouth.

Hi David,

I feel empowered by your dropping by and participating in a web chat.

My question:
What can European governments (For example the UK government / German government) do to tackle and prevent sexual violence in the context of mass migration of single men from misogynist cultures?

Thanks.

Mr Davies you say it was either the police acting alone or on advice from above. The press also tried to keep it quiet.

No journalist or newspaper would voluntarily sit on such stories. So it must have been a govt decision.

AnnaForbes: I think it is more likely to be about avoiding a backlash against politicians who have allowed unlimited mass migration with no thought for the consequences.

Thank you David. I would like very much to make a huge noise about this! To whom should I direct it?

My MEP pretty much echoed Honeyball's 'racist' remark.

My MP agreed it was awful and said he'd keep me updated.

Of about two dozen journalists I contacted, one replied to thank me for the info and would 'let me know if she could use it.'

Who actually cares about this issue?

David thank you for taking part. This is a matter that I as a women and a mother are very interested in.

Do you know if there are any other like minded MP's who can hopefully help you develop this?

BrittEkland: Perhaps but it would be impossible to prove that.