Episode 31: "Acting in bad faith:" UK Centre for Women's Justice files groundbreaking "super-complaint"

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About Episode 31
In 2020, the  Centre for  Women's Justice filed a groundbreaking "super complaint" against all police forces in England and Wales.   The complaint alleged patterns of "serious concerns about the way policing systems operate where police officers are accused of domestic abuse" and raising concerns of a " lack of integrity, of officers manipulating the system and acting in bad faith in a variety of ways."In this episode, David and Ruth interview Nogah Ofer, the CWJ solicitor who filed the complaint and Amy (not her real name), who is an OIDV survivor whose story is included in the complaint. The interview  covers:
  • the genesis of the complaint
  • the patterns of abuse and experiences of UK OIDV survivors
  • the failures of the police system to respond effectively to these officers' behaviours

In the episode, Amy shares the details of her abuse and how the system failed to respond to her safety needs.Listen to other episodes in the series:Episode 28: “I have something I want to talk to you about...”: A conversation about the experiences of OIDV survivors with pioneering researcher Dr. Leanor Boulin JohnsonEpisode 27: “How much crime are you willing to let your police commit?”: An interview with Lieutenant Detective Mark Wynn (Ret) and Police Chief Tom Tremblay (Ret)Episode 26: Listening to the voices of survivors of officer-involved domestic violence: An interview with Nanette ChezumEpisode 25: When police officers commit domestic violence: Award-winning journalist and author Alex Roslin on the global problem of officer-involved domestic violence


More About The Podcast

You asked, we answered. Amidst our current, global political and social upheavals, during movements, activism and testimonies, during legal cases, fear and victim-blaming - we’ve heard your voice asking for clarity, insight and thoughts about how all of this is reflected in the Safe & Together Model. Many of the stories and news pieces we hear about from our partners all over the world involve complex questions, yet the beginnings of change and hope are based on the sound, simple principles of the Model.To that end, in our new podcast, “Partnered with a Survivor,” S&T’s Executive Director and Founder, David Mandel and Ruth Reymundo Mandel offer a raw and intimate glimpse into their personal and professional partnership and what it means to truly partner with a survivor, raise a family based on S&T principles and engage in social change at every level. This is a podcast for practitioners and parents, partners and employers, coworkers and friends - and anyone else who may want clarity, understanding, hope and healing.What does it mean to give consistent consent? What is coercive control? How do you probably see it or feel it every day? This is a podcast you’ll wish you had heard when you were a teenager. In unsure, confusing times, it’s our goal to widen the audience for the Safe & Together Model-associated material to survivors, their family members, and even perpetrators. For professionals familiar with the Model, it will offer another angle on the issues addressed by the Model. For those who don't know Safe & Together, it offers a connection to the themes and ideas behind the work.These podcasts are a reflection of Ruth & David’s on-going conversations which are both intimate and professional and touch on complex topics like how systems fail victims and children, how victims experience those systems, and how children are impacted by those failures. Their discussions delve into how society views masculinity and violence, and how intersectionalities such as cultural beliefs, religious beliefs and unique vulnerabilities impact how we respond to abuse and violence. These far-ranging discussions offer an insider look into how we navigate the world as professionals, as parents and as partners. During these podcasts, David & Ruth challenge the notions which keep all us from moving forward collectively as systems, as cultures and as families into safety, nurturance and healing.Note: Some of the topics discussed in the podcast are deeply personal and sensitive, which may be difficult for some people. We also use mature language to describe some feelings. Finally, we use gender pronouns like “he” when discussing perpetrators and “she” for victims for two reasons: 1.) statistically, more men are perpetrators than are women when it comes to domestic violence, abuse and coercive control; and 2. For clarity's sake, sticking with one pronoun causes less confusion for the listener. We know there are many men who are in abusive relationships and we are not invalidating their situations.About the podcasters: David and Ruth are committed to creating systems and cultures of nurturance and safety. David Mandel founded the Safe & Together Institute which trains systems in domestic violence aware practices from a child safety lens. Ruth Reymundo Mandel is a survivor of complex abuse, child abuse and domestic abuse growing up in a cult. She is a former teacher and trainer using her experience to clarify messages and complexities around abuse and survivors.

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Episode 32: Domestic Violence Advocacy in a Time of Police Reform

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Episode 30: 4 Ways the Concept of Trauma Bonding Works Against Survivors