Anton McCabe Column

Violence against women is an issue in the North. Thirty have been killed this decade. In only one case was the killer another woman. This has struck close to home. I know people who knew four of the victims. After all, the North is a small place. Meanwhile, the Executive has failed to produce many important strategies. One of the most important is a strategy to deal with violence against women and girls. The First and Deputy First Ministers have spoken well on the killings. This time, thankfully, there was no sign of division. Both spoke strongly. Hopefully, they will follow up their words. Some headlines say the North is the most dangerous place in Europe for women and girls. I hesitate to say that. Such claims are easy. The statistics, though, are uncertain.