A LOCAL priest has said that any form of violence against women is “never justified” after Fermanagh was named as one of the most dangerous places for a woman to live in Europe.
The community was left shaken after the Herald revealed that six of the 42 females killed violently in the North, over the past eight years, have died locally in Fermanagh.
Fermanagh Women’s Aid recently reported that they annually support 400 females who have experienced violence. Canon Jimmy McPhillips has called on people to consider their actions.
“The scale of domestic violence in this small rural county is described as staggering, shocking and appalling,” Canon McPhillips told his congregation at Holy Cross Church on Sunday.
“What do we do as a society about this? It’s obvious that we need a U-turn because there’s a silence around those who suffer and a silence of those around those who perpetuate the abuse.”
It was recently reported that, in the North, an average of five women and girls a year are dying violent deaths, with a devastating seven females killed so far this year alone.
The Fermanagh cleric feels that males need to consider their actions and views towards women.
“The perpetrators sadly are not monsters, they’re not hiding in bushes, they are normal every day people. They are sons, husbands, fathers, brothers,” Canon McPhillips said.
“Why is this happening? [It’s] A difficult question to answer but we do know that we have systemic and endemic issues around discrimination against women in society today.
“Whether that is in society around equal pay, positions of power, jokes that we tell when we’re out on a night. We know that we have a major problem around all of that.
“While this may not raise eyebrows and seem quite harmless, these things can lead to what we’re talking about, the rise in domestic violence and the taking of women’s lives,” he added.
The Newtownbutler priest also feels that religious leaders and people in authority need to take a tougher stance on the worrying rise in violence, in a bid to save the lives of innocent women.
“While women are not incapable of violence and we know that men also suffer and are slower to come forward about abuse, it’s men and men’s attitudes that needs to change,” Canon McPhillips said.
“As a church, we need to state as clearly as we can that violence against women inside or outside the home is never justified.
“Violence in any form whether it be physical, sexually, psychological or verbal is sinful and it’s a crime and a criminal offence.”
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