Church leaders in Ireland have expressed their “sympathy and prayerful support” to the families of women who have been killed in “an epidemic of violence against women sweeping across Ireland”.
Representatives of the Catholic Church, Anglicanism, the Methodist and Presbyterian churches and the Irish Council of Churches appealed for the protection of women as they convened in Armagh to mark the death of Amy Doherty at a community vigil.
Doherty, a mother of two, was killed in Londonderry in March after being found badly injured at a Londonderry property. Hundreds of people joined a vigil in the city centre following her death. A man has been charged with her murder.
According to the church leaders, Doherty was the 65th woman to be murdered on the island of Ireland since 2020.
In a statement, the leaders said that “as people of faith, we wish to express our sympathy and prayerful support for all those families who have been bereaved in such terrible circumstances and also our deep concern at what has become an epidemic of violence against women sweeping across Ireland”.
They added that they were ashamed to hear that Northern Ireland is now one of the most dangerous places for a woman to live in Europe, with 30 of the 65 being killed in the province. Most of the victims were killed at home.
“As Christian leaders, we condemn femicide absolutely and all forms of violence perpetrated against women," they said.
"While we welcome the introduction of policy and strategies to address the horror of violence against women and girls in both jurisdictions in recent years, it is regrettable that this has not resulted in a decrease in this abhorrent murder rate.
“At this particular time, we urge politicians, men and women together, to continue to work with the emergency services and the courts, to ensure that they have the resources necessary to combat this epidemic."
The leaders also called for “cultural change”, an end to the toleration of “misogyny”, and work to foster models of “positive manhood”.
