Fermanagh Women's Aid reveal how many they supported last year

Statistically, Northern Ireland is now also currently jointly the most dangerous place in Europe to be a woman, alongside Romania, with 12 women murdered as a result of domestic violence in the North since the outbreak of the pandemic in March, 2020.

Speaking on behalf of Fermanagh Women’s Aid, Michelle Alonso, Training Co-ordinator, revealed such stark realities while speaking to The Impartial Reporter in the wake of the horrific murder of 23-year-old teacher Ashling Murphy.

She said: “For us, within Women’s Aid in Northern Ireland, we supported 6,000 women last year as a result of domestic violence. Last year we had approximately 300 women who got support from the local floating support team here [in Fermanagh].”

Commenting on Ashling’s death, Michelle said: “Another woman has lost her life here on the island of Ireland as a result of male violence.

“The fact of the matter is it demonstrates the absolute need for a strategy for violence against women and girls. We are the only part of the UK that does not have a Violence against Women and Girls strategy.”

Another chilling observation made by Michelle during her interview was how the month of January can see an increase in referrals to the service, as Christmas is usually quieter for the service as perpetrators of abuse are often at home, but abuse often then escalates.

Michelle said: “[Typically, an abuse victim] doesn’t want to upset Christmas for the children, but we would see an increase in referrals for January when the perpetrator has gone back to work, and children are back at school; she then has time to contact us for support.”

Michelle Alonso

She emphasised: “Christmas doesn’t cause domestic abuse – perpetrators cause domestic abuse. The abuse will intensify over Christmas at the perpetrator is there; the same [happened] with Covid-19.

"But Covid didn’t cause domestic abuse – the abuse intensified.”

Michelle also discussed the shocking reality of murdered women as a result of domestic violence in Northern Ireland, with 12 women losing their lives since March, 2020.

“We have the highest rate of domestic violence murders [per head of capita] in Europe – jointly with Romania, we have the highest rate of murders against women as a result of domestic violence, but we have no strategy as of yet.

“Statistically, 87 per cent of women are murdered by men that they know, and 13 per cent are murdered by strangers.

"That demonstrates the risk that we have in regard to women in their own homes. Statically, they are more in danger at home than on the streets.”

Referencing these deaths, Michelle said: “Why is there not a public outcry when women are murdered as a result of domestic violence?

"We’ve had 12 women murdered in Northern Ireland since March, 2020, and we need to have outrage about that as well.

"It is very important that we remember every woman murdered, both in their homes and on the street.”

Emphasising the need for change, Michelle said: “We need an absolute zero-tolerance approach to all forms of male violence against women and it will take all of us to commit to lasting change.

"We need men to act as allies to us in tackling misogyny and equality and calling it out when they see it.”

Domestic abuse stock image

One aspect of domestic abuse discussed by Michelle with this newspaper was coercive control. Michelle said: "Coercive control is very prevalent here; it’s coming into legislation here because it is very dangerous – more than 92 per cent of women that have been murdered in the UK were experiencing coercive control prior to their death.

“Coercive control in particular is a very subtle manipulative form of domestic abuse,;it is the most common form of domestic abuse, and it has been the least understood.”

Explaining how coercive control presents itself, Michelle said: “It is a range of tactics used by perpetrators to entrap their partner; it is a pattern of behaviour.

"It is not episodic, it is not a one-off incident, it is a 24-7 pattern of behaviour which accumulates over time during the relationship.

"It is deliberate, it is calculated, it is designed to isolate, manipulate and terrorise her into fearful obedience.”

The methods used by abusers are often frightening, and threatening, explained Michelle.

“Methods used would be threats, threatening her if she were ever to leave or escape the relationship. She will be isolated from her friends and family, surveillance will be used, monitoring her car mileage – we’ve had women who have spoken about going into doctors' surgeries and being told [by their partner] to leave their phone on so they can hear exactly what that conversation is.”

Fermanagh Women’s Aid can be contacted at 028 6632 8898. Its opening hours are Monday to Thursday, 9am to 5pm; Friday, 9am to 4pm; closed for lunch, 1-2pm.

You can contact a 24-hour Freephone Domestic and Sexual Violence Helpline (managed by Nexus NI) at: 0808 802 1414.

Contact the police in an emergency at 999.