Rising Femicide in Northern Ireland: A Call for Action after Tragic Death of Mary Ward

By Katie O’Doherty

On October 1st, the fourth woman in six weeks was found murdered in Northern Ireland. Police discovered the body of 22-year-old Mary Ward in her home on Melrose Street in South Belfast, believing her death occurred the week before on the 25^th of September. The following week on October 7^th , 31-year-old Ahmed Abdirahman was arrested and subsequently charged with her murder. On the 11^th of October, Ahmed appeared before Dublin District court where he pleaded, “not guilty,” and is remaining in custody as an application for his bail is being made.

This has sparked national outcry across Northern Ireland about the rising epidemic of violence against women. 24 incidents of femicide have occurred since January 2020 in Northern Ireland – compared to the small population of our country, this is a chilling statistic. Concerns are being raised as to the safety of women and girls in the country, with Stormont minister Andrew Muir stating how Northern Ireland can be “a dangerous place for women” [1].

In addition, there are also questions asked as to whether this could have been prevented. Mary Ward had initially reported to the police on the 4^th of September that she had been a victim of a violent crime. A suspect was taken into custody and questioned, and police later confirmed that this was the man arrested in connection to her murder. The issue has been referred to the Police Ombudsman for further review.

This has raised concerns as to whether enough is being done to protect women and girls. In a survey conducted by the ‘Every Voice Matters’ campaign, 98% of women have experienced physical violence in their lifetime, and a further 73% of women reported feeling unconfident or only slightly confident reporting physical violence to the PSNI [2].  Such statistics have highlighted the pressing need for more intervention from the executive to protect women.

This recent tragedy has also come only a few weeks after the launch of the ‘Strategic Framework to End Violence Against Women and Girls.’ This project, which has been in development since 2021, is an investment of £3 million dedicated to ensuring the safety of women in Northern Ireland [3]. Commenting on the framework, First Minister Michelle O’Neill stressed the importance of ending such violence, stating that,

“We must all work together to take this strategy forward and bring about the changes needed to ensure that we create a better society where women and girls can feel safe and be safe everywhere” [3].

However, Northern Ireland was also the last part of the UK and the Republic of Ireland to introduce such a framework, highlighting the country’s infamous legacy of failing to legislate on issues that disproportionately affect women such as domestic abuse and reproductive rights. Delays in protecting women and girls have been evident in cultivating these dangerous environments for women.

Discussions surrounding femicide have also highlighted how domestic violence, particularly in Northern Ireland, has often been a precursor for such killings. Out of 24 women who were killed since January 2020, 21 have been killed in their own homes [4] – a place that should guarantee safety and refuge. In addition, 60-70% of femicide victims will experience intimate partner violence before their death, and on average the PSNI receives a call for domestic violence every 16 minutes [5]. The frequency of domestic violence in Northern Ireland is a shocking reality, particularly if we consider that only 65.9% of female victims of violence feel comfortable speaking up [1]. More focus must be put into protecting women from the cultural violence within our society.

Furthermore, a rally organised by ROSA, a socialist feminist group, took place at the gates of Queen’s last Wednesday, with organiser Eva Martin stating,

“We want to bring people together to stand in solidarity, grief, anger in the aftermath of another femicide” [6].

Whilst the executive is making advances with inputting plans to help protect women, femicide continues to remain an alarming and pressing concern. These four women- Mary Ward, Rachel Simpson, Sophie Watson, and Montserrat Martorell- along with many more over the past year, died to needless and misogynistic violence. Northern Ireland evidently must do more to prevent such tragedies.

If you have been affected by any of the issues mentioned in the article above, please reach out to one of the helplines/websites listed below:

Women’s Aid Ni: Women’s Aid Federation Northern Ireland (womensaidni.org)

24-hour Domestic and Sexual abuse helpline: 0808 802 1414

Sources:

If you feel in danger contact “999” to contact the PSNI, and if unable to speak dial “55” on the keypad when prompted by the operator.

[1] Cambridge, Jonathon, ‘Northern Ireland can be “dangerous place for women”, Stormont minister tells Assembly’ Belfast Live, https://www.belfastlive.co.uk/news/northern-ireland/northern-ireland-can-dangerous-place-30142228.

[2] Lagdon, Susan, ‘Every Voice Matters! Violence Against Women in Northern Ireland.’ The Executive Office, 7^th September 2023, https://www.executiveoffice-ni.gov.uk/publications/research-publication-every-voice-matters-violence-against-women-northern-ireland.

[3] ‘Strategic Framework to End Violence Against Women and Girls launched.’ The Executive Office, 16^th September 2024, https://www.executiveoffice-ni.gov.uk/news/strategic-framework-end-violence-against-women-and-girls-launched.

[4] Kearney, Vincent, ‘“Attitudes have to change” – the rise of femicide in Northern Ireland,’ RTE news, 13^th October 2024- https://www.rte.ie/news/analysis-and-comment/2024/1013/1475137-northern-ireland-femicide/.

[5] Mc Laughlin, Katrina, ‘In a post-conflict society like Northern Ireland, women are at greater risk of violence’- The Journal. 11^th October 2024, https://www.thejournal.ie/readme/women-murdered-in-the-north-of-ireland-6511204-Oct2024/.

[6] Coyle, Conor, ‘Women’s group calls for action on femicide ahead of rally’, The Irish News. 16^th October 2024, https://www.irishnews.com/news/northern-ireland/womens-group-calls-for-action-on-femicide-ahead-of-rally-4WVI3WTYXRBEVHP4EPSUJ5GKAM/