Breaking the Silence: Tackling Northern Ireland’s Hidden Crisis of Domestic Violence Domestic violence in Northern Ireland has reached alarming levels, resembling a hidden pandemic that cannot be ignored. Despite its devastating impact, society often fails to treat violence against women within intimate relationships with the seriousness it warrants. Why is it that women’s murders in…
Two Days Into 2025, Another Woman Lost to Violence The New Year was barely underway when a devastating and preventable tragedy shattered the community of Mallow, Co. Cork. On Friday morning, January 3, Paula Canty, a 31-year-old woman, was found dead under suspicious circumstances in her rented flat. Two days into 2025, while…
The Machinery to Silence – How Abusers Weaponize the System to Bury Victims In a world where women are persistently encouraged to speak out against toxic and abusive behaviour, the reality of doing so often comes with devastating consequences. Recent revelations by Kate Beckinsale and Blake Lively shed light on how the machine of institutional…
The Trial That Exposed Society’s Darkest Truths In a small courtroom in Avignon, where justice often feels like an abstract concept, one woman, Gisèle Pelicot, stood unshaken against a wall of darkness. Fifty defendants, their faces etched with denial, shame, and arrogance, made their final statements. Fifty men who had lived among us as normal…
Sara’s Bruises Were Seen. Her Screams Were Heard. So Why Was Nothing Done? The case of Sara Sharif’s horrific abuse and murder is a damning indictment of a child protection system that has once again failed a vulnerable child. Sara’s story is not just a tragedy, it is an urgent call for society to reassess…
How Character References Continue To Diminish Victim’s Trauma The case of Martin O’Brien, a 54-year-old man from Gurrane, Belclare, Tuam, Co Galway, who was sentenced to six years in prison for repeatedly sexually assaulting his children’s teenage babysitter, Áine McHugh, is a harsh reminder of the pervasive issues surrounding sexual abuse and the justice system’s…
Shattering the Silence The conviction and sentencing of Barry Murphy for his crimes against Lisa O’Meara is a sobering reminder of the dark reality of domestic violence. Murphy, a 39-year-old from Offaly, was sentenced to 14-and-a-half years for coercive control, rape, assault, and false imprisonment of his former partner. While justice has been served,…
Time for Irish Rugby to Tackle the Deep-Rooted Culture of Misogyny The recent sentencing of Irish rugby player Denis Coulson to 14 years in prison for the 2017 gang rape of a student in France shines a light on the deep-seated misogyny within the sport and the structural failures of the Irish Rugby Football…
When will women be able to walk through the world without fear of violence? This is the question that haunts us all. On December 1, 2024, Vanessa O’Callaghan was brutally assaulted as she left a soup kitchen in Cork City. The 36-year-old mother of three succumbed to her injuries three days later, leaving behind grieving…
Domestic Violence Does Not Discriminate – A Society Failing Women and Children Eight-year-old Malika Noor Al Katib tragically lost her life after trying to protect her mother during a violent altercation in New Ross, Wexford. Malika, in her innocence and bravery, stepped between her mother and an alleged assailant, believing her presence could shield her…