Obsession With Intent

by Lee Lakeman

Obsession, With Intent is an investigative report into cases of -violence against women; in all cases the women tried to get help from the system. It is a harrowing account of individual women’s stories, their understanding of the danger they faced, their attempts to get help and, in those cases where someone was willing to prosecute, their vulnerability under/within the law. It reviews 911 procedure, from how the emergency operator evaluates the call, to the police (how, or if, they collect evidence), to prosecuting attorney, to court, to sentencing.

Among the many narratives are “domestic dispute” cases, sexual assault cases and cases of murder. The landmark decision in the case of Jane Doe, who fought for and won the right to sue the Toronto police force for the way in which they routinely dealt with rape victims, is examined, as are a number of sexual assault cases—some high-profile, some occurring more than 40 years ago. Accounts of the serial killers Bernardo and Picton are chilling, as are the other numerous accounts of impending murder. (As early as 1997 Picton had been charged with confining, and repeatedly stabbing, Wendy Lynn Eisteler, but charges were dropped and Picton released; the prosecutor judged that there was no likelihood of a conviction—the victim was “a drug-addicted prostitute.” Thirty more women would die.)

Recognizing that violence against women is one of the strongest indicators of prevailing societal attitudes toward women, Obsession, With Intent screams out for social change regarding violence against women at the individual, the institutional and the political level.

Lee Lakeman works at the Vancouver Rape Relief and Women’s Shelter. She has organized Take Back the Night marches, neighborhood confrontations of abusive men, and anti-violence lobbies petitioning government representatives. She is a contributor to Not For Sale: Preventing the Promotion of Prostitution.

Genres: Feminism, Nonfiction

256 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 2005

Reviews

[Gemini · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was astounded by some of the things told in this book. Let me just say that I was not happy to see how Canadian officials/gov't employees handled these situations. I guess I was really suprised to see the blatant sexism, humiliation, lack of empathy & downright oppressive nature they had towards women who had been victims. It was just such a shock to read about what these women endured & you can't help but be in disbelief at their treatment (or lack thereof) & wonder how this is possible. The sad part is that this wasn't happening some 50 years ago this was way more recent than that, so it really makes you think, how the hell can they get away with being so awful to these victims of sexual assault? It was so upsetting to read these women's stories & the issues they faced after being sexually assaulted & the difference of how they interacted w/ the police or RCMP depending on what province they were in, along w/ if they were an indigineous person. The lack of response was horrendous for some women which actually put them in a place of life or death. It is such a shame that more people, specifically men, don't take this more seriously. No wonder a huge percentage of womendon't bother making any claims against their attacker, the system is not with them at all.

[Jennifer]

I bought this after reading "The Story of Jane Doe" because I was interested in learning more about how the law fails women. If I didn't witness this kind of thing on a daily basis I'd probably exclaim "I can't believe this stuff still happens"! But I can. Great book.

[Scott Neigh]

Reviewed here.