Warden apologizes to ‘those whom may have been offended’ by domestic-abuse remarks

Rep. Mark Warden apologized today to “those whom may have been offended” by comments he made yesterday on domestic violence during a House committee meeting.

“It was never my intention to minimize the trauma of domestic abuse or in any way demean the victims. I find violence abhorrent,” said Warden, a Republican who represents Deering, Goffstown and Weare, in a statement. “How the state gets involved in people’s personal lives is a topic that requires thoughtful debate and should not be reduced to sound bites. To those whom may have been offended, I offer my sincere apology.”

During a debate yesterday of the House Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee, Warden spoke on a bill that would reduce simple assault from a misdemeanor to a violation-level offense in some cases. The committee voted 16-4 to recommend the full House kill the bill.

“Some people could make the argument that a lot of people like being in abusive relationships. It’s a love-hate relationship. It’s very, very common for people to stick around with somebody they love who also abuses him or her. . . . Is the solution to those kind of dysfunctional relationships going to be more government, another law? I’d say no. People are always free to leave,” Warden said, according to a video provided by Granite State Progress, a liberal advocacy group.



(Ben Leubsdorf can be reached at 369-3307 or bleubsdorf@cmonitor.com or on Twitter @BenLeubsdorf.)