A very detailed and moving first hand testimonial by actor Patrick Steward on his lived childhood experience on his witnessing and intervening the violence perpetuated on his mother by his father.

Actor Patrick Stewart best known for his role as Captain Jean-Luc Picard on Star Trek the Next Generation TV Series

“Our house was small, and when you grow up with domestic violence in a confined space you learn to gauge, very precisely, the temperature of situations. I knew exactly when the shouting was done and a hand was about to be raised – I also knew exactly when to insert a small body between the fist and her face, a skill no child should ever have to learn. Curiously, I never felt fear for myself and he… never struck me, an odd moral imposition that would not allow him to strike a child. The situation was barely tolerable: I witnessed terrible things, which I knew were wrong, but there was nowhere to go for help.

Worse, there were those who condoned the abuse. I heard police or ambulance men, standing in our house, say, “She must have provoked him,” or, “Mrs Stewart, it takes two to make a fight.” They had no idea. The truth is my mother did nothing to deserve the violence she endured. She did not provoke my father, and even if she had, violence is an unacceptable way of dealing with conflict. Violence is a choice a man makes and he alone is responsible for it.”

~Patrick Stewart, best known for his performances as Captain Jean Luc Picard of Star Trek the Next Generation and Gurney Halleck from the epic 1980’s Sci-Fi cult-classic movie, Dune. Thank you Patrick for boldly speaking out to end violence against women.

Here is a five minute video of Patrick Stewart talking about violence for Amnesty’s 2006 campaign http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SPzVUGE3dds.