Church leaders across Ireland have condemned rising violence against women and girls, describing it as “an epidemic sweeping across Ireland”.
In a joint statement released after their latest meeting, leaders from the Roman Catholic Church, Church of Ireland, Presbyterian Church in Ireland, Methodist Church in Ireland and the Irish Council of Churches expressed “sympathy and prayerful support” for families affected by violence.
The statement followed the recent murder of Amy Doherty and noted that 65 women have been killed on the island of Ireland since 2020.
The leaders said they were “grieved and shamed” by reports that Northern Ireland is now one of the most dangerous places in Europe for women, with 30 women murdered since 2020.
“We are deeply troubled by reports that the most dangerous place in Northern Ireland for a woman is her own home,” they said, noting that 21 of the women killed were attacked in domestic settings.
The Church leaders condemned femicide and all forms of violence against women, while acknowledging recent policy efforts to tackle abuse and violence in both Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.
However, they said legislation alone would not solve the crisis.
"At all levels of society there needs to be active long-term cultural change, where misogyny is not tolerated online or elsewhere, with boys and young men given the opportunity to discover the joys of positive manhood, that loves, respects, and honours women and girls, just as God loves them equally,” the statement read.
The leaders also called on churches to remain vigilant and offer practical and pastoral support to women seeking refuge from abuse.
They concluded by praying that those grieving the loss of loved ones would know justice and “the peace of God, which transcends all understanding”.
