Six children were murdered in a house fire started by their father to punish his ex-girlfriend. Duwayne, Jade, John, Jack, Jesse and Jayden died because we live in a culture which refuses to take male violence and domestic violence seriously. Their father, mother and their best best friend may have been convicted of manslaughter in the deaths of 6 innocent children but our whole society needs to shoulder responsibility for their murder.
6 children died in a fire because we continually excuse the behaviour of violent, abusive men.
Michael Philpott, aged 21, served 3 years of a 7 year sentence for stabbing an ex-partner 17 times and then attacking her mother. He was convicted of attempted murder and served only 3 years for a violent assault on a 17 year old girl whose only crime was to end their relationship. Michael Philpott murdered his 6 children in a house fire to punish his girlfriend who had ended their relationship.
This is normal behaviour for violent men: punishing their partners.
Controlling women through multiple pregnancies is normal behaviour for violent men.
Controlling women financially is normal behaviour for violent men.
Controlling and abusing women sexually is normal for violent men.
Mick Philpott's behaviour was normal for abusive, violent men.
We live in a culture that thinks 50 Shades of Grey and The Paris Wife are romantic. We tell children that 6 year old boys who "like" tell them so by assaulting them. Twilight tells teenage girls that boyfriends who stalk you are romantic. The Diary of Bridget Jones reinforces the belief that women are nothing but neurotic and pathetic without a man.
2 women a week are murdered by their partners in the UK.
Mick Philpott isn't evil.
He's a normal man who has been told repeatedly that male violence against women is irrelevant; that masculinity involves violence.
Children like Duwayne, Jade, John, Jack, Jesse and Jayden will continue to murdered at the hands of violent men unless we start standing up and holding all violent men accountable for their behaviour.
Marina at It's Not a Zero Sum Game has written an important critique of the Daily Mail coverage of this case here.
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