Sir, The rantings of your columnist Mary Cummins ("a new year, a new round of attacks on women"), served no one. Violent crime is a tragedy for the family, friends and community of both the victim and the perpetrator. Indeed it is commonly the same family or community. Public concern is inevitable with the increase in crime, but the tragedy is private.
Politicians, clergymen or newspaper columnists have no business making capital, whether with a big or small "c" by using others' personal tragedies. Would it bring back the murder victims, alleviate the grief, or reform the criminals if public figures spoke out every time someone was murdered, as your columnist demands? Wouldn't it rather become trite and meaningless, and therefore an insult?
Mary Cummins's tirade against men belies the fact that they too, are among the victims. Should I regard my child as a potential rapist/murderer because he happens to be a male? Most people are horrified by violent crime. It is, however, still a small minority who commit crimes.
The evidence is there for those who want to see that most criminals have experienced lives that are far from ideal. This does not excuse them but it must be considered a factor in the search for a solution.
Ms Cummins would be better employed urging women (and men) to live their lives to the full despite their fears of crime. The worst fear of all is fear itself. I, for one, am not so intimidated that I sit silently under a shroud of hopelessness waiting for the next attack". Rather I will continue to take reasonable precautions, yet take a short cut through my local park. All of us would be better served by more balance and less hysteria in discussions of crime. - Yours, etc.,
Lucan,
Co Dublin.