Tuesday 29 November 2011

A Sad Day.

Our little market town is very small. Everybody knows everybody and the difficulty of shopping there is that every other footstep you take you meet someone you know and stop for a chat. We have always said how lucky we are to live in such a crime-free area. Admittedly there are burglaries and farm thefts galore but still we have always felt safe in the town. In fact, my son roars with laughter when I say that I am 'going into town' as it is such a tiny place it is little more than a village. It is often like stepping back in time and everything is peaceful. Until yesterday, that is.

Yesterday in broad daylight, at around ten oclock in the morning, an elderly lady of 84 was attacked in the town's toilets and she was hit over the head with a hammer four times and her handbag and stick were stolen. Later the handbag and stick were recovered, minus the money of course. What somehow makes the mugging much worse is that the perpetrator was a middle aged woman.

I'm sure that anyone who lives in a large town and is reading this will be thinking 'welcome to the real world' - but I think most of us up here did think that maybe we had escaped it. It is obviously not so, and I for one am greatly saddened.

I am still waiting to hear which elderly lady it was who was attacked. For many years I was President of the local Womens' Institute and although I came out of it when I married the farmer eighteen years ago, I am familiar with most elderly local ladies and I really do not wish it to be any of them - or anyone else for that matter.

Sad day indeed.

25 comments:

Rubye Jack said...

That's horrific. I do feel safer living in a very small town, but evidently danger is everywhere.

Elizabeth said...

Sad indeed.
How terribly upsetting for everyone especially the poor woman who was attacked.
Do you think the woman who did it was mental rather than merely criminal?
Keep us posted.

Jennifer Tetlow said...

Oh my goodness, this is horrifying reading - hope the lady will be alright.

Heather said...

What a dreadful shock for your whole community Pat. As Elizabeth suggests, the attacker must be mentally ill to do such a thing. I do hope the elderly lady is not too seriously injured, and will make a good recovery.

angryparsnip said...

Reading this makes me so very sad. At 84 they could have just stole the purse with a push so I am wondering why such violence ?
I always think of your village and the one Titus lives in a lovely step back in time also.
I live in a much bigger city and I do love living were I do, Tucson is a wonderful city filled with fabulous people but.... being only 55 miles from the border with Mexico the crime and violence something we have to always be aware of.
I hope this is just some crazed random act.

Go down and visit with "The Ladies" that has to brighten up your day. I would think some soft moooing and huge brown eyes can only make the day better.

cheers, parsnip

The Solitary Walker said...

This is horrendous, Pat. I am deeply shocked and saddened.

Cuby said...

How sad that your local town/village is not immune to the real world's troubles. Hope the victim is recovering well.

mrsnesbitt said...

Pat - when I heard this on the news a short while ago I mentioned your name to Jon - knowing it would affect you in some way. Take care xxxxx

MorningAJ said...

As shocking as this is, it doesn't sound like a 'normal' attack (if such a thing exists).

I'm with Elizabeth on this one. I think the attacker is possibly ill.

Angie said...

I am so sorry for all of you. Such a sad, horrific thing to happen.

Rachel Phillips said...

Such a horrible thing. I see they have arrested a 47 year old woman. She followed the lady from the bank. Beware, especially at this time of year.

Reader Wil said...

How sad, Pat! I also live in a village, but occasionally we have burglaries, even in broad daylight.Still it's better than in Rotterdam. The fact that the elderly lady was attacked by another old woman, is really horrible and unbelievable.
I also meet a lot of people in our supermarket, which takes me a long time to do my shopping.But it's nice.
I hope the CD is okay now?

it's me said...

sobering thought that we must be on guard everywhere and are especially vulnerable as we age

H said...

It is always horrible to hear of attacks on the elderly. The people who do such things can have no sense of right and wrong to prey on those who are vulnerable! What a terrible thing to happen in your small town.

Irene said...

I feel very bad for the woman who was attacked. It must have been a terrible experience for her and one she's not easily going to forget. I hope there is lots of help for her to help her cope with this assault. XOX

Anonymous said...

What a cowardly attack, it makes me so angry that this happens. I don't quite know what the world is coming to, I truly don't.

John Going Gently said...

i suspect alcohol or drugs were the cause of the horrific attack... this criminal should be placed in the stocks in the village green... but I suspect she will be reviewed by a psychiatirst
hey ho
so so sorry

Dominic Rivron said...

It was a horrifying crime - but
I think it is wrong to see incidents such as these as some evidence of the dark shadow of decay finally reaching a rural area like this one. I don't think we've really "escaped" or "not escaped" from some sort of reality.

Firstly, there's a great moment in a Holmes story where he and Watson are travelling through the countryside on a train. Watson comments on how idyllic the cottages look. Holmes tells Watson he has no illusions as to what violence may be concealed behind closed doors in "idyllic" out-of-the way cottages - I'm pretty sure Conan Doyle, a doctor, was voicing his own contemporary concerns though his detective. Not only is the peacefulness of rural life an illusion - it's also a myth to think we're going downhill. Conan Doyle was writing a century ago. (Anyone who doubts all this should read about life in, say, Keighley in the 19th century: 10-to-a-room, disease, crime, child prostitution, etc).

We are not a logical species. The dramatic directness of the violence in this case is attention-grabbing. However, the most dangerous violent criminals in a rural area like this are probably reckless drivers. Oddly, there will be people who are horrified by this mugging who would be up in arms if life-saving speed bumps were to be erected in their roads.

Good and bad things go on everywhere all the time. Most people try to do their best most of the time. Things like this will happen occasionally, have happened and will happen again.

Now, if NHS provision were to be cut back in this area, for example, that really would have an impact on the safety of elderly people round here.

Gerry Snape said...

what great common sense from Dominic....I think good and bad do go on everywhere and I understand that we try to be in situations that will minimize the distress that inner city living seems to bring. I hope that you find out who the elderly woman was and then I think it's up to the community to make sure that she can believe that there is still kindness in the area and goodness as well. so sorry Pat.

Titus said...

I'm so sorry this happened; for the old lady who was attacked of course, but also for you and the other inhabitants Weaver - it's so disturbing that it affects everyone's sense of security. That's a sad loss in such a small community.

And yes, do listen to Dominic.

My very best, and my thoughts to you, the old lady and the alledged attacker.

rkbsnana said...

Poor lady. Bless her heart. I hope she will be okay. It is a sad day when it happens in broad daylight and perpetrated against the elderly.

Midlife Roadtripper said...

This event doesn't sound normal to me, in spite of living in larger cities. I would be most appalled also. We create community and when we are invaded, it stills us. I'm so sorry.

Crafty Green Poet said...

oh gosh that's terrible, I hope she's okay and that the perpetrator is caught.

Rachel Fox said...

A hammer? Oh my goodness, how horrible.
x

ArtPropelled said...

How unnerving for you all. It is always a shock when something like this happens.