Men have been jailed for sending their kids a Christmas card or returning a child's phone call. But even the low estimate adds up to about 2,000 a year in Massachusetts alone. That's hardly a trifle when we are talking about people losing their homes, their children and sometimes their freedom. To many feminists, talk of vengeful, manipulative ex-wives smacks of misogyny. But to recognize that women may abuse the power they have is to recognize that women are human.
Several studies suggest that restraining orders have little protective effect.
Indeed, a system bogged down in trivial pursuit may fail to single out cases of real danger. Charges of domestic violence, by women or men, must be taken seriously. But sensitivity to victims should never turn into a presumption of guilt. The lawsuit should be an opportunity to re-examine restraining order laws, and not just in Massachusetts. Her column is published on Wednesday.