Blame the Victims

A priest friend of mine alerted me to the story about bishops in Spain who recently blamed women for the upsurge in domestic violence against them.

The AP reported: ``With women's deaths and beatings up dramatically in Spain, Roman Catholic bishops have triggered a storm of criticism by saying such domestic violence is "the bitter fruit" of the sexual revolution.

``The comments, released this week in a Spanish Bishops Conference treatise on family matters, drew a barrage of attacks from political parties, women's and social groups and the media.

``Almost every day, Spanish newspapers carry horrific stories about women dying or being beaten by their husbands or partners. At least 70 died violently last year, up from 52 in 2002, according to government figures. Rights groups say the 2003 figure is closer to 100.'' See complete article.