Restraining order must restrain!

Almost everyday, I read in the newspaper about too much domestic violence, assault and battery taking place. On one hand, so many crime cases are getting dismissed, and on the other, so many cases are getting judged extremely harshly?

Let us take the case of Mr. Raition Datuis. According to the police, this guy beat up his girlfriend and knocked her out. Then this man poured water on her head to bring her back to life. The victim with swollen eyes and scratches all over her face somehow managed to reach the San Antonio Church and pleaded with the priest for help. The preliminary hearing found no trace of assault or battery and the judge dismissed the case!

Another guy, Roberto, got his case in the federal court but the jury rendered a unanimous verdict finding him not guilty of anything and acquitted him of all the charges. This guy allegedly enticed three minor girls to engage in prostitution and tampered a witness while he was in jail and this man is not guilty? Datuis and Roberto, men, are now free as the breeze! Maybe just for their being men?

Another man (again, man!) just ignored the court’s restraining order, repeatedly approaching his ex-girlfriend. The police had to arrest James Delos Reyes for violating the court’s order. This case resembles the case of my daughter, Carmelita Guiao, where the so called victim guy violated the restraining order as well.

In the both cases, one side violated the restraining order. Reyes is in jail but why was the guy who had been ordered by the court not to approach my daughter allowed to keep violating this order to his heart’s content?

When he approached the last time, the incident that poisoned my daughter’s life for 20 years took place! At that moment, he was violating the restraining order! Why was the same violation of a restraining order handled so differently and against my daughter’s right to be free of his unwanted and dangerous visits? I see it as discrimination based on gender. Why was this fundamental violation of the restraining order by that guy forgotten, never mentioned, and considered properly? Maybe because he is a man?

Dear powerholders, please do something to return to that violation of the restraining order! My daughter’s freedom depends on it, her getting united with her five children depends on it, our women’s future not getting jailed based on Carmelita’s case depends on it. Please!

Dear powerholders, most of you are men of valory, dignity, and integrity. You want a restraining order to be really restraining. Please protect our women from this kind of harshnesses. Let our women raise our children free of unfairness and of finding themselves isolated from the family and society for no reason.

Teddy Guiao
Navy Hill, Saipan