Good God. I had no idea about this. Even though I am supposed to have come around to expecting-and thus be immune in terms of shock to these things-I still remain stunned and horrified when I see them in print. I say on the one hand “well thank God he did not spend time in prison” but yet I know he might easily well have done (as so many completely innocent Canadian men often have. And still do) This causes me to have awful nightmares almost every other night.

Despite receiving some damages (not enough in my view) Steven Pagones also lost his wife and family and lost his job. I believe I know well the extent of the suffering he has endured. I have endured similar horrors right here even though I do not personally have domestic violence issues in my life. It ruins lives in a most terrible way I can assure you.

So, Brawley gets to pay Pagones $627 a month in “damages” but she still walks around free and people are still maintaining her victimhood. She herself is not even apologetic.  And he is, by my observation lucky he is a prosecutor himself and he did not serve time. It’s just NOT good enough in my book. .

Now, ,I stand in opposition to this while thinking about Donald Marshall, David Milgaard, Steven Truscott and others wrongly convicted for murder and who all served time in awful conditions in plain unjust and unlawful circumstances. Just imagine how many men are in jail right now and who have served time for a crime they did not commit in terms of domestic violence?

In Ottawa–and I dare say other places in Canada- a man has only  two options when accused of domestic violence. He can plead guilty and put in a guaranteed ‘no criminal record’ plea bargain which leaves him with no record but automatically adds his ‘admitted crime’ to the male on female domestic violence record. OR he can take his chances in criminal court with a 50-50 chance of going to jail for a crime he did not commit.. Not much choice there. I have not yet met a man who has taken option 2.   It leaves me absolutely cold in realization of the possibilities. . And angry.

JS

Source: fathers_in_action

And always remember this when thinking about Canadian examples of this unjust and illegal madness.

“Luckily in Canada We Don’t Need Evidence to have a man charged with domestic violence”

(A statement to 50 assembled ‘domestic violence feminists’ 13 supporting men and this writer)

Ontario Judge Justice Judith Beeman

27th July 2008, Courtroom 32 Ottawa Court House

“We Judges know that women lie and deceive in family court about issues related to the Father in order to gain legal advantage but we accept that as part of the process“

Unnamed Canadian-Ontario Family Court judge
Courtroom 22 Ottawa Courthouse July 2006.