University Volume 25 | Issue 8 | Tuesday 1st February 2022
Express
UCCExpress.ie
When Will Ireland Change its Ways, Stand Up, and Fight for Women’s Safety? CIARA BROWNE Deputy News Editor
This article includes news on sexual assault Garda Headquarters said detectives in Sligo allegations and the murder of Ashling Murphy. want to speak to anyone who “noticed any Please do not read if you feel you may be triggered. activity which caught their attention”, (The Irish Times), between 8pm and 10pm in Ballydoogan, Gardaí are investigating an alleged sexual assault Oakfield and Maugherboy County Sligo. Gardaí on teenage girls in Sligo with several scenes have also pleaded to any road users, and those sealed off and extensive appeal for information who were recording dash cam footage to contact issued from the Gardaí. The alleged assault is said the investigation team and to make the footage to have been outside Sligo town, Saturday night, available to them for investigation purposes. This January 22nd 2022. A number of scenes have been news comes ten days after the attack and murder sealed off as part of the criminal investigation. of Ashling Murphy, 23 year old Irish primary Detectives believe the suspect may have left Sligo school teacher from Tullamore, County Offaly. after the alleged attacks, but have since taken Ashling was attacked and killed while jogging complaints from the teenagers, and undertaken along the Grand Canal, just outside Tullamore on forensic examinations of several scenes. An area Saturday 12th January 2022. The murder caused of the Maugheraboy GAA grounds has been women and citizens of Ireland and London to sealed off since Sunday, January 23rd, as well take to Twitter, Instagram and Facebook sharing as a house less than 1km away, as it is said to be the caption, “she was going for a run”, on their a potential crime scene. Gardaí are appealing social media accounts. Vigils took place for for information from people who were in the Ashling all around Ireland, in London and in area and surrounding areas where the assaults surrounding areas. The devastating news has led are alleged to have taken place and where the people of Ireland to question the society that other potential scenes of interest are located. we live in, stating that men “need to do better”,
(Irish Examiner), and how “every single one of us must call out misogyny”, (The Irish Times). The Minister of Further and Higher Education, Mr. Simon Harris, told a vigil held in memory of Ashling Murphy on the grounds of Mary Immaculate College that politicians, particularly men, need to stand up and take action against misogyny and violence against women. Mr. Harris told thousands of people gathered with candles on the grounds of Ms. Murphy’s alma-mater, Mary Immaculate College (MIC) in Limerick: “I wanted to be here because I’m a man, a farther, and a politician, and I know that our gender, and our profession, need to do better, we need to do much more.” Mr. Harris went on to state, how as fathers, “we have a duty in how we raise them, in how we ensure they are part of a cultural change: as politicians we have got to change the system.” This change includes a duty to ensure that thirdlevel is safe, and that “every single one of us, as men, must call out misogyny and we must stand Continued on Page 2