I AM not a saint and Lord knows that I have committed many a bad act and wronged many a people in my time. I am therefore reluctant to pass judgement on another, especially when that someone is currently subjected to a judicial process, which will inevitably pronounce upon innocence or guilt.
However, the Cunningham- on-Ballan (alleged) abuse case and some of the commentary being made thereon, provokes me to offer a comment or two of my own, at the risk of being labeled judgemental. Some of the commentary doing the social media rounds seeks to paint Shirleen Ballan in a negative light, with picture postings of her at parties and night clubs in perhaps "compromising" frolicking poses with those of the opposite sex.
I would simply like to offer that irrespective of the (alleged) victim's behaviour -- before, during of after -- no person, man or women, should have to be physically beaten to such an extent that they have to be hospitalised.
While guilt of the accused must still be determined, it is wrong to attempt to deflect from the crime by questioning the character or behaviour of the victim.
The basic point (and truth) in all of this is quite simple: a woman was beaten up so badly that she was hospitalised and a man is on trial for this.
The fact that the woman, for whatever reason/s, is ambivalent about her feelings for the man, has recovered from the beating and is now enjoying herself, or has a new boyfriend, is not really relevant.
Whoever was responsible for such a beating needs help -- whether such help is punitive (that is jail time) or psychological or otherwise -- and this will, of course, be decided upon via the judicial process.
In the meantime, let's not forget that a woman was horribly beaten and went through extreme trauma, pain and suffering.
ROLAND WILLIAMS, Kragga Kamma, Port Elizabeth
Letters
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