In issue 6/2007 of the Beobachter magazine, two female authors wrote an article on the topic of domestic violence .
The VeV responds as follows:
This article presents an utterly one-sided view of a societal problem. Domestic violence exists, and it is a terrible thing! But domestic violence is by no means solely a male problem. Domestic violence is a human problem. Recognized statistics now indicate that female perpetrators account for up to 50% of cases. Police statistics from the Canton of Zurich show that 20% of perpetrators were female in 2006, although a high number of unreported cases must be assumed. The use of the masculine term "perpetrator" repeatedly suggests in this article that the perpetrators are exclusively male. To continue to assert this, despite well-known studies and statistics, borders on denial. We must finally abandon the myth of the evil man and the poor woman and open our eyes to the real facts. Domestic violence must be stopped – but it is crucial to remove the right person from the situation!
We would like to read in the Beobachter (a Swiss newspaper) what affected men can do. Where they can turn, perhaps even with their children. Which organizations offer shelter to men and their children who have experienced violence? Where can battered men find support? When will the first men's shelter finally open in Switzerland? We have over 20 women's shelters, but not a single men's shelter. When will the Observer advocate for these people? Observer's response of March 28, 2007
Thank you very much for your critical letter of March 27, 2007. We are pleased that the Observer's topic "Domestic Violence: Whoever Hits, Leaves!" has attracted your attention. Letters from our readership provide valuable suggestions for our work.
We have forwarded your letter to the editor and your comments to the responsible editor. We have also forwarded your letter to the relevant editors as a suggestion for a follow-up article. Should we decide to address the topic you suggested, we would like to contact you. However, we cannot make any firm promises, as we receive a very high volume of submissions and are therefore forced to make a selection, which sometimes means that suitable contributions are not included.
The Observer is a critical journal, and it needs attentive readers like you. Thank you again for your suggestion and your interest in our journal.