Would You Intervene?

[ladybirder]

Charles Saatchi has got his wife, Nigella Lawson by the throat in a restaurant in London. Criticism is being levelled at onlookers who didn't intervene. Would you intervene between man and wife in this situation?

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/nigella-lawson-attacked-husband-see-1955564

[boxtops]

I'd like to think that I'd draw it to the attention of the management, if nothing else. If he does that in public, what the hell does he do in private?

[chrisgel]

I would hope I would intervene when any man was assaulting a woman. Having said that, of course, I suppose everything depends on circumstances at the timr.

[jno]

the photographer evidently thought there was more profit in cllicking away than in intervening.

[ladybirder]

That's what I thought boxy. If he can't control his temper in public what the hell's he like in private.

[ladybirder]

I'm glad he did jno. Bet Saatchi isn't though.

[Sharingan]

It would depend and I would have had to have seen and heard the whole thing with my own eyes. also the man is 70, she is 53, there may be problems upsetting her that we are unaware of, she might not have been crying because she was 'attacked' but perhaps his behaviour might have become erratic because of a dementia problem we're unaware of and perhaps that explains the kiss also. He may of course simply be a huge bully in which case she needs to disentangle herself and since she has no small children or money issues then it's very possible. If she is routeinly abused and lacks the confidence to leave him then that's another matter and one only she can help herself with.

[tonyav]

I would like to think that yes I would intervene.

[boxtops]

I wouldn't allow age considerations to come into it, sherigan. Holding people round the neck in a restaurant is hardly erractic behaviour, it's abuse.

[ChillDoubt]

I'd intervene, without question.

[Sqad]

I have no idea...sorry...don't know.
Probably...............NOT.

[boxtops]

^ sorry - sharinghan

[islasmum]

I agree with Boxtops - I'd hope that drawing the management's attention to the scene would be sufficient. What a horrible man, poor Nigella.

[naomi24]

Yes, I would intervene. A domestic argument is one thing, but when hands go around throats, that is something very different.

[Sqad]

naomi........so how would you go about it?

If you gave him some well chosen words ( I gather physical intervention isn't on your mind) he would just turn round and say.."P1ss off fatty" or something similar and then how would you deal with the situation?

The difficulty would be making a difficult but controllable situation into an even uglier and uncontrollable event.

[naomi24]

Sqad, Could be the contents of a soup tureen poured over his head.... who knows until the time comes?

ps. I'm not fat. ;o)

[jno]

a very sensible point, Sqad. There's every possibility that intervention would make you feel good but do nothing whatever about the situation.

I don't know what I'd do.

[naomi24]

I don't think it would make me feel good particularly - but it would allow her to breathe rather more easily!

[Sharingan]

I also imagine that most well known, celebrated women would not thank andy interference because of publicity exactly like this which is far more humiliating than a row with your husband.

[aelmpvw]

the frightening thought of such a situation in a restaurant is the amount of weapons that are to hand

[RATTER15]

Without a doubt, I would have been on top of him in a flash, I cant abide bullies!