Miriam upsets many in show
‘ACTION TO BREAK CYCLE OF VIOLENCE AGAINST WOMEN MUST START IN SCHOOLS’
Aisling says she feels society needs to address why so many men feel it is acceptable to kill their partners, and she feels it might have to begin in the classroom.
“It just seems to be the norm suddenly that you would read about a woman being murdered or killed by her partner or husband, and in some cases children are involved.
“And that really strikes a chord, that children are involved as well,” she said.
“It has become a norm of such that it’s totally unacceptable for any decent person as far as I can see, but I think it has to go back to the drawing board, to schools, to education to find out what it is that we’re missing that men particularly, do this.
“I think it’s a question to be asked — what is it with these men? It seems to be an option that has become more acceptable, that someone thinks it’s OK and it’s alright to do this.”
Yesterday Taoiseach
Michael Martin exclusively told this paper that the Government is in the process of drawing up plans to tackle the issue of gender-based violence, sexual violence and domestic violence.
And Aisling said the Government should speak to people who have been affected.
“I think they should bring in people who have been at the coalface of that and there should be consultation with them as well. I’m available. I’m making myself available. I am sure any family would want to,” she said.
Control
Earlier this week UK policeman Wayne Couzens was sentenced to a rare ‘whole life’ sentence for the murder of Sarah Everard, a shocking crime that has gripped Britain.
And Aisling says she believes that ultimately has to be brought in here, as killers serving life sentences often get to walk from Irish prisons after 16 years.
“The only possible deterrent is a whole life sentence. But we were told before that it’s all about the baby steps. It’s all about politics.
“You can’t just jump and go from 0 to 60. You have to kind of do it incrementally, and that’s very frustrating for families who are at the other end and who know that it’s not going to make huge inroads into addressing the problem,” she said.
“I mean Siobhan died in 2006. So 15 years later men are still taking the chance, and still taking the risk, with a sense of control or otherwise, that it’s OK.
“Very few of them are pleading guilty. A lot of them are pleading not guilty. They’re actually denying what they’ve done and they are taking the chance that they might actually get off.
“There’s so much at play in all of this. I think it’s disgusting that at this stage we have the number of murders of partners in front of children with no holds barred.”
Kearney strangled Siobhan in her room, then used a Dyson vacuum cleaner flex as a ligature before trying to hoist her over the en-suite door in her bedroom in an attempt to make it look like a suicide.
Their three-year-old son lay sleeping in the next room and Siobhan’s body was later discovered by her family who broke into the bedroom after failing to contact her.
The prosecution alleged he killed Siobhan because she was planning to leave him, something that would have placed him under severe financial pressure.
MIRIAM O’Callaghan left many viewers unimpressed following a “ridiculous” question on RTE’s Prime Time on Tuesday.
The presenter discussed the issue of violence against women with guests following the latest headlines on the deaths of Nadine Lott and Sarah Everard.
The segment featured a report with Orla Muldoon, Professor of Psychology, who explained the “systemic problem” of violence against women.
Toxic
“It is profoundly about controlling someone else,” she said.
“The phrase ‘toxic masculinity’ is used a lot.”
Miriam asked if “all men” could be capable of extreme violence, leaving many viewers surprised.
Someone wrote on Twitter: “This is just disgusting. It’s telling women to fear all men. I don’t think it’s helpful at all.”