rivkin article - "the damage done" coverage

I watched the Rivkin family interview last night on Australian Story and it was frank and compelling viewing. The family threw no punches and gave a warts and all view of the man, his lifestyle and his actions. They where damning in some respects, but equally you could see they where frustrated, cared deeply for the man. The interviews with his wife where excellent.

I have changed my opinion on Rivkin based on this program and the facts it put forward. The man was, clearly mentally ill. Doctors dont lie when they show pitcures and discuss medical results surrounding the removal of a golf ball sized brain tumour, and he has clerly woken up since the surgery and seen the complete fool he was, and gone into a deep, deep, embarrased depression around this. Forget the insider training for a minute - he is embarrased to be linked with and actively involved in the circus he became and the impression he has left on people.

At the end of this I felt a deep remorse for Mr Rivkin and a pride for his family. I wanted to support Rene and let him know that there are people out there who forgive him and understand the issues of being mentally ill, particularly when it involves the impacts of proven, physical medical issues (like a fkn tumour on the brain)

Then I read the crap that makes news in the SMh this morning. "Gayle relishes respite from selfish and cruel Rivkin" And wrote them a letter back

The SMH reporter, Michael Pelly has embellished and decieved the reading audience. He hass taken the words of the family and sensationalised them out of context. He has painted an image of a family who do not want thier father and are happy he is in Jail. He has lied about the program, and neglected to mention the crucial facts of the program, that being that this is a man who is clearly, proven, mentally and physically Ill..

He has taken a comment that Mrs Rivkin made, that she is "glad when Rene is away for the weekend" and made it sound like they are glad to be rid of him. For those who watched the article you would know this is NOT what was said . . they are glad that Rene is being cared for in the medical facility in the Jail - they are not glad to be rid of thier father, but that he has the care he needs.

The article then went on to make other twisted lies and accusations, that Gail did not like her husband for the last 15 years . . again, this was not what was said and was taken out of context - she had been unhappy with his actions but she clearly loved and cared for the man.

The point of the interview, which the SMH missed, was the deep and expressive remorse and releif that Gail felt when she found that Rene had a golf ball sized timour in his frontal lobe (the bit that controls personality) - she was visibly shaking, she felt so upset at herself as she clearly knew that he had not been at all sane and under control of himself as the tumour grew, she was "My god, how could I have been so angry when he was so sick"

This is a woman and a family that have been through very much. The damage has been done and it is hard to look back now and say this is a Rene that deserves a chance, but I beleive he does. It's only becuase of the visual and expressive ways he has communicated over the past year that we have heard him and now felt "well, bugger him" but these are not the actions of a well man, and I think he should be given all the suport he should in order to help get better.

Pillman "I lost my father to a brain tumour"