Violence against women has gone on for centuries. Even today, cases of domestic abuse are rife.
It is an unfortunate reality that there are still many men out there who view women as objects.
For example, expecting a woman to be a man’s child-bearing machine.
And when a woman fails to give birth, it becomes her fault, and she could be slain and discarded.
An Evil Act
The Egyptian man in the picture was unhappy that his wife had not yet borne him any child (it could be problems with his reproductive health, but the blame was on his wife by default).
The average man who is unhappy would probably be frustrated (at the situation, not at his partner), maybe a little irritated that his efforts did not pay off. That is fair.
This man, however, was plain evil.
He tied his wife up and doused her in a flammable liquid. He then set fire to her.
As if nothing had happened, he just calmly walked back out and went to his mother’s place, which is located in the same building.
The husband just coolly stood at the balcony of his parents’ place as neighbours called the police.
Unfortunately, by the time the police arrived, the woman had succumbed to her injuries and passed away.
Witness statements to the husband’s character revealed that:
“He constantly beat and berated her in their three years of marriage, constantly calling her infertile.”
He has since been apprehended by the police and awaiting trial before the Egyptian Courts.
We hope that justice shall be served.
Abuse At Home
By home, I mean both in the nation of Singapore and behind closed doors we call home. Of course, what happened in Egypt is unlikely to happen in Singapore. No crazy man is going to set fire to his wife here.
That does not mean nothing is wrong. The abuse that takes place in Singapore is far more silent, far more pernicious.
Many women (and men) live in fear because of the domestic and emotional abuse they suffer under their partners. They are unable to speak out for shame, for misplaced guilt and out of fear for other dependents.
As such, many abusers hide in plain sight in Singapore.
Remember, no one deserves to be abused. Everyone deserves the right to a life free of hurt and violence. If you do need help to break free of such a situation, there are many organisations and people who are dedicated to helping you.
