The Prohibition of Child Marriage Act in Sierra Leone is a monumental step toward gender equality and the protection of children’s rights. It is a measure that is certainly not before its time, given the long-standing issues of child marriage in the country. While the law alone cannot eradicate the deeply ingrained cultural practices overnight,…
The recent revelation that a Dublin maternity hospital has appointed Dr. Christopher Morris, a doctor with a criminal conviction for assaulting two women, to a position where he will likely treat domestic violence victims, raises profound concerns about the priorities and values within our health system. This situation not only highlights the systemic failure…
The recent case of a doctor convicted of raping his wife is an unsettling reminder of the persistent issue of violence and entitlement that men often exhibit towards women. The doctor, a 36-year-old Leinster resident, has been sentenced to eight years in prison for the horrific crime of anal rape and false imprisonment. This case…
Bláthnaid Raleigh’s story is a testament to courage and resilience in the face of unimaginable trauma. In 2019, Raleigh was raped by Jonathan ‘Johnny’ Moran in a garden shed in Galway, a horrific event that profoundly impacted her life. However, Raleigh’s bravery in waiving her anonymity to name her attacker and share her story publicly…
Judge Tom O’Donnell, who controversially handed a three-year suspended sentence to a 22-year-old soldier who brutally assaulted a woman in Limerick two years ago, is set to retire this week. The decision has sparked widespread outrage, particularly among advocates for women’s rights, who highlight the pervasive issue of lenient sentencing for violence against women, sexual…
Yesterday’s court decision by Judge Tom O’Donnell to give Cathal Crotty, an Irish soldier, a suspended sentence after he brutally assaulted Natasha O’Brien knocking her unconscious is a stark example of the systemic failures in addressing men’s violence against women. Crotty, who attacked O’Brien without provocation, punched her multiple times, and boasted about it…
The upcoming Supreme Court ruling in India on the issue of marital rape is a crucial moment in the ongoing struggle for women’s rights and gender equality. Despite decades of advocacy and significant progress in many areas, the idea that marriage grants a man unrestricted rights over his wife’s body remains entrenched in Indian law.…
The Bruce Lehrmann case has stirred widespread outrage and condemnation, shedding light on the dark corridors of power and the abuse of privilege. Lehrmann, a former political staffer, stands accused of a heinous crime – the rape of Brittany Higgins on a minister’s couch in Parliament House in 2019. However, what has exacerbated the gravity…
The recent murders of six people in Sydney’s Bondi Junction over the weekend has sent shockwaves through communities, reigniting discussions on misogyny, violence, and the dangerous echo chambers of online extremism. As details emerge, it becomes increasingly evident that the perpetrator’s actions were not merely isolated acts of violence but indicative of a broader societal…
Remembering Professor Evan Stark, sociologist, forensic social worker, widely published author and an award-winning researcher with an international reputation for his innovative work on the legal, policy and health dimensions of interpersonal violence, including its effects on children. A towering figure whose groundbreaking work on coercive control has revolutionised our understanding and approach to…