Call for better

The arrival on Valentine’s Day of a beautiful girl child into my whanau caused me to reflect on the scandal of sexual assault perpetrated against university interns, which erupted from the erstwhile, august legal firm Russell McVeagh (‘We really let these women down’ - law firm partner, Feb 17).

Two things struck me: the first, that privilege, a legal education and high income which undoubtedly the offending men enjoy is no guarantee of insightfulness, moral probity or professionalism. The list of young women interns was spoken of as the ‘summer menu’, as if strawberries ripe for hulling, and ‘rated’; one’s mind boggles.

The second thought was that in listening to discussion on radio, the spokespeople were, to a man, women; from the Law Society, the law firm and a group, Women in Law, who were ultimately, despite their appalled protestations, enablers of their male colleagues who in time-honoured tradition were hiding behind their skirts.

The only male voice on the matter was that of Vice-Chancellor Grant Guilford, and it was one of sorrow and fury at the sleeze-bags who his students had encountered in their first foray into the profession.

And as to our new-born, one can only hope that when she in turn comes to enter the professions she will be spared the experience of sexism, intimidation and the completely uneven playing-field which the rest of us have survived. LESLEIGH SALINGER

Wellington (abridged)