Thread by @orlamuldoon

A column I wished I never had to write: Seeing the tragedy in #Tullamore as a one off is a useful way of coping with its horror. But the attack isn’t random. The victim's gender was key to why she was selected for attack. 1/n irishtimes.com/opinion/femici…

There are patterns between events that deliver violence against women.
1. Women experience violence at the hands of men. Women are not raped or killed by invisible forces. Men kill women. #notallmen. Not even many men. But is almost always men @FixeditI will help you see. 2/n

2. Men who perpetrate life-threatening violence against women tend to build up to this point of their criminal careers. Perpetrators usually start with jeering, street harassment, exposure, groping. Often this is ignored or even condoned. Rarely is it prosecuted or punished. 3/n

3. Low level violence is widespread and not only do women have to endure it, and be reminded of their vulnerability, it provides cover for extreme violence. Women are told they are being overly sensitive, or have a sense of humour failure. 4/n

4. A final pattern is consistent inaction. We are either unwilling or unable to act. It has been highlighted before and repeatedly by many 5/n e.g. irishtimes.com/opinion/why-is…

More examples? irishtimes.com/life-and-style…

Not only has there been no policy response there is sometimes systematic refusal to even acknowledge the issue. Look at the responses to the article below. Look at the responses to the original
@IrishTimesOpEdin 2018. Look online today. 6/n
runireland.com/running-while-…

Efforts to manage distress can blur efforts to see problems clearly. Women modify behaviour to manage feelings of risk. As runners, we take care. We run before dark, others, in ‘safe’ areas we don’t separate, we run with the dog, where floodlit, with GPS trackers etc etc 7/n

Women take all sorts of precautionary measures as they go about their everyday lives. Staying on the phone when walking alone, the last in the taxi texting friends to let them know of their safe return home, relinquishing ear pods in order to stay alert when out and about. 8/n

None of this effort will solve the problem. Seeing the patterns will help us see the way forward. A zero tolerance policy towards male aggression is essential. And however hard it may be to hear, it is always (some, not all, but too many) men’s behaviour that is the issue.9/n

Women know it could have been any of us.

I am very sorry it was #AislingMurphy, RIP.

It would have been preferable for her to have lived in peace.

10/end

@NWCI @IrishRunnerMag @ReclaimTS @EverydaySexism @SAFEIreland @Womens_Aid