Diana Armstrong MLA has expressed horror at yet another death of a woman at the hands of a male perpetrator. This brings the total number of women murdered in Northern Ireland since 2020 to 27, making Northern Ireland the most dangerous place to live in as a woman in Western Europe.

Ms Armstrong said, “The brutal murder of Sarah Montgomery exposes the dark underbelly of misogyny that exists in Northern Ireland. While sending sincere condolences to Sarah’s family at this time of unimaginable grief, the Ulster Unionist Party is calling on the NI Executive to convene an urgent meeting to discuss immediate steps to protect women and young girls in our society. 

“Words on paper are not enough. We need swifter action on preventative measures to educate young and older men on their behaviour towards women; tougher sentences for perpetrators; zero tolerance embedded in education, and additional resources for the PSNI to dedicate officers to victims and investigations. 

“We all have a role in society to protect women and young girls, and more financial support needs to be allocated to organisations like Nexus, Women’s Aid and other crisis centres who provide essential support to female victims. However, the key is a change in mindset and zero tolerance to violence against Women and Girls.”