By Special Guest Writer Akasha Mc Donald
The dead cannot speak. They cannot cry when there is no justice.
"Take me away" Arthur Freeman said.
The defense lawyer continued to shift the focus on the words that were not spoken, the food that was not offered and the CTV camera that did not record. Well dressed with a shiny purple tie, sat Arthur Freeman carefully following the movements of the lawyers, calculating the sum of words, expressions and moments nearing the end of a two day committal hearing at Melbourne Magistrates Court. His lawyer did well to convince others that Arthur Freeman was not guilty, that he was mentally ill and not fit to stand trial. There was more than just a few flaws that became the thread undoing the blanket of defense. Without saying the word "catatonic", the lawyer gnarled away with questions establishing a lost cause even after it was confirmed that Mr Freeman had spoke. It is an empirical fact in trauma studies that perpetrators suffer from trauma post the incident. This has been well documented over many years. The behaviors Mr Freeman displayed after the act, sounds just like text-book trauma.
Towards the end of the hearing, the judge spoke directly to Mr Freeman informing him of the consequences of pleading guilty and not guilty throughout the trial. As if gratified by knowing that his victims would be tormented by the case dragging out and the possibility of it twisting into a great injustice, he stood proudly and said, "Not Guilty". Silence filled the room, followed by an echo of pens in unison furiously scratching away at paper. His face was devoid of all emotion but a twisted sense of triumph that spread across his face. After all, it is the last opportunity he has to torment his ex wife and family.
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