Londonderry Women Report Fear Following Attacks, Councillor States

A former mayor of Londonderry has stated that women and girls in the city are experiencing fear and feel compelled to devise methods for their own protection, in the wake of several recent attacks. Sandra Duffy, a Sinn Féin councillor and member of the local Policing and Community Safety Partnership, reported that women are taking photographs of taxis prior to boarding, sharing their whereabouts with friends while walking, and organizing self-defence courses. She further commented that there was a “real feeling of fear right across the city”. Over the weekend, two women were assaulted in the Waterside area of the city, and law enforcement officials are investigating if the same individual was responsible for both incidents. “Women are feeling the strain,” the former mayor of Derry and Strabane remarked. She added, “They are feeling, what more can we do to protect ourselves because there is nothing more that we can do.” She continued, “A lot of the women I am talking to, they’re arranging self-defence classes. There are free classes being run right across the city.” On Friday evening, an assault occurred at knifepoint against a woman in Drumahoe. The following day, Saturday afternoon, a woman walking her dog in Top of the Hill was approached by a man wielding a kitchen knife. Both weekend attacks took place in parks within the Waterside area, with the locations of the incidents separated by approximately 2.5 miles. Councillor Duffy characterized the prevailing situation as “unacceptable”. She further stated, “We now need men to stand and be our allies in relation to these attacks because women are feeling afraid.” Justice Minister Naomi Long commented that individuals were distressed and angered by the attacks, and that women were “terrified”. Speaking to BBC News NI, she asserted, “It’s unthinkable that women in this day and age can’t walk about in their own community, can’t go and do basic things without being under the threat of this kind of violence.” She continued, “We have got to tackle this epidemic of violence in our society targeted at women and girls.” Long emphasized, “We have got to start tackling those attitudes and that culture that treats women’s lives as though they are expendable.” Louise Ryan and Maeve McLaughlin, students at Ulster University in Derry, expressed ongoing concerns about their safety, particularly during evenings out. Louise stated, “My mammy makes me text her every time I’m going anywhere.” She elaborated, “I text her when I’m about to go out, who I’m going with, what bar I’m in and then when and how I’m getting home.” Ryan added, “It’s sad to say but I wouldn’t go anywhere alone right now, for us we always try and get home in a big group or mainly with our male friends – which isn’t fair.” Maeve McLaughlin commented that she believes recent incidents in the city underscore the perils faced by women in Northern Ireland. She stated, “I think this isn’t just a Derry problem, it’s a problem right across the north,” adding, “It’s sad and I think women in general are being let down, it shouldn’t be like this.” On Monday, Chief Superintendent Gillian Kearney, Derry’s most senior police officer, affirmed that the police response – encompassing increased patrols in the city’s centre and parks – would persist for “as long as it has to”, to ensure residents feel reassured and supported throughout the district. Chief Superintendent Kearney also mentioned that the police investigation into the weekend attacks was “progressing at pace”, and that officers were pursuing multiple lines of inquiry. She advised, “If you notice someone acting suspiciously or if someone’s behaviour causes concern do not approach, but contact police immediately.”