Biggest mass shooting in Australia since Port Arthur (distressing)

[Chachachac]

Australians will already be aware of the murder-suicide shooting in Margaret River in WA -

www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2018/may/11/margaret-river-shooting-mother-and-her-four-children-among-victims

Two women (mother and daughter) and four children (the children/grandchildren) all shot by their husband/father/grandfather, who then turned the gun on himself.

While obviously not wishing to make anything more difficult for the extended family and friends (if such a thing were even possible - God knows what hell the children’s father is going through right now), the question is still what the fuck are we going to do about the scourge of male violence against women and children that plagues our societies?

The papers are full of questions as to why on earth this man could have killed his whole family, what was he going through that we don’t know about?

Personally I think these are the wrong questions.

In a tragedy like this we are often hesitant to lay blame or even to talk much about what has happened, seeing it as being in poor taste.

I reject that and I think that until we as a society address what’s going on and do something to stop male violence, we are going to see this happen over and over and over again.

But where on earth to begin?

I just feel so angry tbh.

Thing is, Skittlesandbeer, it doesn't matter if the precursor was a child's possible illness. Is it at all likely that not one of those seven people who died would have chosen life if given the choice? None of the children? The mother or grandmother?

But they weren't given the choice because their lives weren't seen as sufficiently important in, and of, themselves.

Great post Dance.

Thank you DanceLikeEmmaGoldman

Literally brought tears to my eyes

Thank you for the compliments. Really, I had no idea how angry I was until I started writing. I read the ex-husband's comments and just saw red.

Great post emma Goldman.

Skittles, cobblers, I mean, come off it, are you serious?

Excellent post Dance, just excellent.

Skittles, what on earth are you talking about? It was purported (by Cockman I might add) that the suicide of one of Peter Miles' son 10-15 years ago, and the recent diagnosis of one of the two remaining sons needing a kidney transplant was the 'motive/trigger/insert excuse here'.

Far fetched, to say the least. And what you are inferring, by saying one of the children murdered had that, was that it was "a mercy killing", which somehow entailed killing another five. So far fetched to excuse the mass murderer are we?

Jeez those comments by the ex husband are beyond weird.

Absolutely spot on Emma. Rage is entirely appropriate here, women are being crapped on and the media are complicit.

Every time these murders happen I am amazed by the passive language used by the media.

Clementine Ford on the myth of the "good bloke".

www.theage.com.au/lifestyle/life-and-relationships/the-problem-with-the-good-bloke-narrative-20180514-p4zf6r.html

Even I’m guilty of it. There seems to be something so accusatory about saying “man kills woman and children”

Excellent post dances

it will be discovered to be a terribly misguided attempt at euthanasia.

Ridiculous.

I too read the father's comments and thought: 'Ehhh? That is not within the range of normal'.

Why are the police so sure no one else was involved? Murders are often staged to look like suicides.

That's what happened in the Colin Howell case and he got away with it for 20 years:

www.theguardian.com/uk/2011/mar/02/hazel-stewart-murder-colin-howell

northern this thought has been niggling me too. Tbh. It’s sounds like that dad is proud of the act. It wouldn’t shock me at all if it turned out he had killed them all and staged it so it looked like the grandfather did it.

“If it had to happen, there is no better person than that.”

What in the actual fuck is wrong with this man?

I too read the father's comments and thought: 'Ehhh? That is not within the range of normal'.

'Normal' is a tiny little dot on the horizon to this dude. Although he did manage to be visibly upset when the shark ate his best mate. His four kids murdered? Well... that was just Peter's 'efficiency' then, wasn't it?

Awful.
Mental illness can be a dreadful thing.

Why are the police so sure no one else was involved? Murders are often staged to look like suicides.

Sometimes the cops just play their cards close to their chests. There are a number of notable cases (where, most of the public suspected the perp) that took them 1.5-2 years before charges were laid. There is a current one going on now in AU (not yet to trial, so I won't comment).

It is incredibly rare, both in AU and the UK, for the murderers of women/children not to be arrested and charged within the first 24-48 hours. It's a no-brainer for the cops. Sometimes they just have to wait it out for evidence. My estimate for AU, is that most of the murders of women/children, charged within the first week, would be about 98%. Similar, but maybe slightly lower in the UK. If you start following femicides, you will notice that pattern. But the odd case, takes some time (far less cold cases these days too). Exceptions are more frequently, finding skeletal remains, not identifying them for a long time.

Both in the UK and AU, the perpetrator of the killing of a woman, is about bang-on two-thirds, the current or former male partner. It used to be slightly lower in the UK (50-55%) but I see that it has risen in the last few years.

Mental illness can be a dreadful thing.

There is no indication that the perpetrator had a mental illness. No indication that the ex-husband had a mental illness (except perhaps psychopath). Why must that always be the go to? People with mental illnesses are more likely to be victims, not perpetrators, so pretty darned insulting to those with mental illness.

It's not a get-out-blame-free card you know. If you think you are being compassionate, you are wrong, you throw people with MHI under the bus.

Sometimes the cops just play their cards close to their chests.

I’m reminded of the Shannon Matthews case. The police knew it was the mother but hadn’t enough evidence so didn’t come out with it.

Bloody hell DancelikeEmmaGoldman fantastic post

I see the male violence apologists have been in already.

I think the ex must have put the family under enormous pressure with the stalking etc and that this, combined with other issues, pushed the grandfather over the edge. That he saw annihilating his family as the only way to end the suffering and the stress.

The ex's weirdly complimentary comments about ex-FIL suggest to me that he sees this as an ideal resolution to the 'problem' of his ex and dc.

The whole situation is so sick and disturbing and yes, mired in male violence and control.

DancelikeEmmaGoldman I am in awe of your post. Everything i'm not articulate enough to say, you said. I'm so bloody angry.