Austria shocked by loss of community

The ghastly tale of a man's abuse of his daughter and her children (one shudders to think of the abuse his wife must have endured) has shocked the world, but most particularly the people of Amstetten, a small town in Austria.

While the grisly details of the abuse have hit the headlines, the real story for me is the absence of community in a town that for 24 years turned a blind eye to the goings-on on their doorstep. The persecutor would frequently have to deliver groceries to the home in wheel barrow to feed the imprisoned family, but this detail was unremarked upon by his neighbours who believed him to have a small family of three.

We must hope that the people of Amstetten learn from this that having - more branded goods/more white appliances/more foreign holidays - is never a substitute for being - whole, decent, fulfilled persons living in community with friends and loved ones, sharing and supporting each other.