* Mr. Manroe deserted his wife and five children four years ago. Re­cently Mrs. Manroe has learnt that her husband lives in Texas and runs a huge oil-company. Mr. Manroe has never given his family any financial aid. The woman has petitioned for divorce and claimed $1000000 compensation.

* The young couple has lived apart for half a year. The husband is go­ing to ask the lawyer of his own to start divorce proceedings. But the wife, who is two years younger, doesn’t agree to a divorce.

* Bob Tanner, a drug user, abuses his wife. Last week he knocked her into a wall and almost broke her neck. The police came and took him to jail. Jessica Tanner has petitioned for divorce.

Task 20. Read the newspaper article devoted to family violence.

It is impossible to calculate how much of the crime and imprisonment in this country is caused, directly or indirectly, by family violence.

About 80 per cent of women in prison have been victims of child abuse, sexual abuse, or domestic violence.

When do women take action?

The turning point may come when a woman can no longer hide the scars and bruises. Or when her own financial resources improve, when the kids grow up — or when she begins to fear for their safety. Sometimes, neighbors hear screaming and call police — or a doctor challenges a woman’s made up story about how she got those broken ribs.

To tell the truth cops hate domestic calls — in part because they are so unpredictable. A neighbor may simply report a disturbance and cops have no idea what they will find on the scene. The parties may have cooled down and be sitting in stony silence. Or one may be holding the other hostage, or the kids. Sometimes, warring spouses even turn on cops — which is why many police forces send them in pairs and tell them to maintain eye con­tact with each other at all times. But many cops still don’t see such calls as real police work.

Many cities have started training programs to make police take domes­tic-violence calls more sensitively — and seriously.

Women are scared and want the violence to stop. Ten days later when they get the subpoena to appear in court, the situation has changed. The idea of putting someone you live with in jail becomes impossible. Pressing charges is just the first stop. The victim is faced with a range of potential legal remedies: orders of protection, criminal prosecution, family-court prosecution, divorce, a child-custody agreement. Each step is complex and time-consuming, requiring frequent court appearances by the victim — and the abuser.

But those in the field say the question is whether the justice system can solve a highly complex social problem. We need to rethink what we’re do­ing. Prosecution isn’t a panacea. We put it on when there is an emergency and we keep it on as long as necessary. But the question is, then what?

(From: Newsweek. — July 4, 1994)

I. Choose the best title for this newspaper article.

a) Family Courts.

b) How to Start Divorce Proceedings.

c) When Cops and Courts Step in.

II. Tick off the true statements.

1.  Family violence is the course of various crimes.

2.  Policemen don’t consider this crimes to be serious.

3.  Women are ready to put someone they live with in jail.

4.  Prosecution always helps to cool the parties down.

5. One can always predict how the family scandal ends.

III. Circle a), b) or c) to complete the sentences.

1. A woman begins taking action when …

a) her own financial resources improve

b) she wants to divorce her husband

c) her relatives insist on it.

2. Cops detest domestic calls because …

a) they are unpredictable

b) they are dangerous

c) they are too frequent.

3. The subpoena is usually received in …

a) a week

b) a day

c) ten days.

4. The police are usually called by …

a) victims

b) neighbours

c) abusers.

5. Family violence is …

a) a complex social problem

b) not a problem

a forced problem.

TASKS