Justice Minister: 'Societal' change needed to tackle gender violence

The Justice Minister for Northern Ireland says we need to change our behaviours, in order to better protect women here.

Naomi Long was speaking as she prepares to bring proposals to the Executive on Thursday.

She is expected to table a strategy to Stormont Ministers to introduce measures to protect women and girls from violence.

The murder of two women in Newtownabbey last Friday has prompted widespread calls for urgent action.

Karen McClean and Stacey Knell were both murdered in their homes in separate knife attacks.

Police believe 26-year-old Kenneth Flanagan murdered his mother Karen and girlfriend Stacey before taking his own life.

Floral tributes have been left to both women at the scenes.

Detective Chief Inspector John Caldwell described it as a "really shocking and horrific double murder of two women inside their own homes''.

"Both women were mothers and this appalling murder has left children facing a lifetime without their mums,'' he said.

Local politicians were quick to condemn the actions in the assembly.

DUP MLA Paula Bradley said the two women "cannot be allowed to become yet another statistic.''

"We cannot wait for another mum, daughter, wife or girlfriend to die,'' she told MLAs.

While the Justice Minister agrees the law needs updated, she also says attitudes need to change:

"I believe that the emphasis must move upstream, how do we protect women and girls from violence?

"How do we change the societal attitudes which make it acceptable for people to be screamed at in the street? Wolf whistled, heckled, abused on their way to work?

"How do we deal with the attitudes that give people that sense of entitlement?

"So I think we need to move this beyond simply a Justice response."

Earlier this week the deputy First Minister called for "unified and determined'' action to tackle gender-based violence.

"We cannot wait for another mum, daughter, wife or girlfriend to die,'' she told MLAs.

Ms O'Neill said it was not good enough that Northern Ireland was only part of the UK without a specific strategy to address violence against women and girls.

"We can't stand still on this issue while women and girls are continuing to come to harm and to do so would be a dereliction of all of our duties in public office,'' she said.

"I absolutely rightly agree the Executive must take unified and determined action to tackle the critical issue of gender-based violence. It needs to be progressed in the right way as a matter of urgency.''