Ms. Sarah Benson the CEO of Women’s Aid said that her goal is to make sure that victims of abuse reduces drastically. She said this at the Dublin City council office during the lecture on the Femicide report on Friday, [ 22 November 2019].
Ms. Benson said 230 women have been killed and 16 children have died alongside their mother since the Women’s Aid started reporting in 1996, 87% of them were killed by men they know, 56% were killed by current boyfriend, husband or partner and 5 women have died in the Ireland this year.
She said that the organization lunches its new report named “A legacy of Loss- Femicide Watch 2019” which reports that women are more likely to die in their own homes and by men known to them. She expresses her worries about women being in danger in a place where they ought to feel the safe (that is their homes).
During the event, victims, professionals and experts were present at the event. Mr Ryan Hart who was a victim was invited to tell his story. Mr Hart narrated how his father had killed his mother (Claire) and sister (Charlotte) using a sawn-off shotgun in broad daylight and then committed suicide after. He and his brother Luke speak openly about their story and uses it to raise awareness of the coercive and controlling behaviour their family had suffered.
“Men like my father believe that they are entitled to control and abuse their family and we have to have the media challenging these believes.” Mr Ryan Hart
What he and his brother found reported in the media days after the murder is excusing his father’s action and the media blaming them for provoking their father rather than focusing on the victims which is his sister and mother.
Mr Hart said that in some report his father was named a “nice guy” which to him was wrong. He said the media needed to reform how they report homicide cases. He continued to say most murders in the media were reported by blaming the actions of the murders, on mental health, addiction and alcohol, which in the process is giving limelight to the evil doers and creating room for more people to kill.
He said journalist should not ask neighbours what the attacker was like, “because an abuser keeps their abuse hidden”.
“He has controlled the victim’s life now he’s going to control the narrative too” Says Mr. Ryan Hart
He said journalist giving prominence to reporting from the murderer’s perspectives have created a platform for murders to control victims and control the narrative too. He and his brother Luke found out that his father has been reading articles on how to kill the whole family before he actually did.
Dr. Anne O’Brien a lecturer at Maynooth University also spoke at the event where she said sensitive cases such as intimate partner homicide when reported, are decontextualized, blames are shifted on the perpetuator rather than the victims, and patterns to sources journalist uses remain the same rather than stories from family of the victims or experts.
Ms Benson implored the government to introduce proper resources and legislate formal Domestic Homicide Reviews (DHRs) and increase the support for families bereaved due to domestic homicide.
The event was chaired by Claire Byrne who is a broadcaster from RTE. Experts like Nora Gibbons and Frank Mullane who are experts were present. Kathleen Chada, who is a victim whose sons were murdered by their father could not make it to the event today to tell her story and share her grieving process.
If you have been abused or knows anyone that need help, the 24hour National Freephone Helpline is 1800341900. Save a life today/ save yours.
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