Shock and anger over Derry sex attacks raised with Justice Minister Naomi Long by local MLAs
Justice minister Naomi Long has expressed shock at two sexually-motivated knifepoint attacks on women in Derry over the weekend.
She said the ‘attitudes, the entitlement and the violent culture in parts of our community’ that underpin violence against women and girls need to be tackled at a societal level.
“I was shocked and saddened to learn of the attacks on two women in Derry/Londonderry over the past weekend. Rightly, we are all deeply concerned about the increase in incidents of violence against women over recent times.
“We must all do everything in our power to challenge and change the attitudes and behaviours on which those are predicated. There has to be a collective effort from across society and across government to address those important issues,” she said, when asked about the weekend attacks by Independent Unionist MLA Claire Sugden at the Stormont Assembly.
Sinn Féin MLA Ciara Ferguson said: “The recent sexual assaults in Derry were absolutely shocking. My heartfelt thoughts are with all the women affected.
"I will follow on from what the Minister said: given the recent spike in violence against women, what meetings is she aware of between the likes of the PSNI, Women's Aid and other support organisations to bring forward immediate steps to address the issue?”
The minister referred to the high visibility patrols and police presence announced by the Derry and Strabane police commander Gillian Kearney in the wake of the attacks. Mrs. Long said engagement continues with the Executive Office, the Department of Justice, the PSNI, Women's Aid and lots of other organisations.
“By the time we deal with this through the justice lens, someone has already been subjected to a horrific attack. People are already living in fear. If we want to end violence against women and girls, it is important that we move upstream and start to tackle the attitudes, the entitlement and the violent culture in parts of our community that allow that behaviour and enable it to persist.
"We are not doing women and girls a service by simply talking about attacks after they have happened. We need to focus on how we prevent those attacks,” said the minister.
SDLP MLA Sinéad McLaughlin referred to ‘considerable concern and alarm in my community after the four serious sexual assaults’ over the past two weekends.
“Are you confident that the PSNI has the resources and capacity to invest heavily in ending violence against women and girls when, across all Departments, the budget against the strategy is only £3 million over two years?” she asked.
The Justice Minister said she couldn’t answer for the funding of the ending violence against women and girls strategy because it is an Executive Office function but admitted the ‘PSNI budget is not adequate to cover all the issues that the PSNI needs to cover’.
Mrs. Long praised the Derry and Strabane commander Chief Superintendent Gillian Kearney and Detective Superintendent Lindsay Fisher, head of the PSNI’s Public Protection Branch.
"Gillian Kearney and Lindsay Fisher are two women in the PSNI whom I admire greatly. I know their commitment, and I have no doubt whatsoever that, if they have announced that they are going to make extra high-visibility patrols, those will happen.
"However, in order for us to make a sustained difference, we cannot look only at the response after someone has become a victim. As I said, there are things we could do upstream, at very little cost, that would change attitudes and cultures and protect women and girls from that type of violence,” she declared.
SDLP MLA Mark Durkan said: “Like others, my thoughts are with the victims of those horrific attacks, who were subjected to a terrifying and traumatic ordeal. I commend the courage of the women targeted.
"Minister, in response to a recent question for written answer, you told me that the Probation Board does not have a statutory role in where its service users reside. However, does it have a statutory responsibility to inform the police where offenders, particularly sex offenders, reside?”
Mrs. Long replied: “Anyone who is subject to reporting arrangements under what is commonly known as the ‘sex offenders register’ has to let the police know what their accommodation address is. That goes without saying. The police will be notified of that.”
East Derry SDLP MLA Cara Hunter asked what actions can be taken to ensure women feel safe in the north west.
"I cannot reiterate enough how serious this is. There have been four attacks in a short time. On the topic of prevention, in the immediate aftermath, Minister, what assurances can you give right now to women like me who live in the north-west so that we feel safe? What will that look like?
"Is it self-defence classes? Is it the provision of things like pepper spray? Is it providing public messaging or personal alarms? What can we do in the immediate aftermath so that women feel safe this week, right now?” she asked.
The minister responded: “When it comes to how people should protect themselves in the public space, the best people to give that kind of community safety advice are PSNI officers.
"I do not claim, nor should I, to be an expert. However, I will say this: pepper spray is illegal, and no one should carry it. The risk of carrying pepper spray is that, like any weapon, it could be turned on you and used against you.
"People should not resort to carrying weapons, because they could end up being used against the individual who carries them. I need to put that on the record.”