Derry vigil in memory of two women killed – Sophie Watson and Montserrat Martorell

Hundreds of people have attended a vigil in Derry’s Guildhall Square in memory of two women killed in the space of a week.

Organised by Foyle Women’s Aid and Alliance for Choice Derry, Thursday evening’s event included a minute’s silence for Sophie Watson (57) who was killed in Magherafelt and Montserrat Martorell (65).

Banners saying ‘End Violence Against Women’ were on display.

Speaking to The Irish News, Mayor of Derry and Strabane Lilian Seenoi-Barr said she was present as a gesture of “solidarity and to stand up for women”.

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“We need to come out, all of us, and stand up against violence against women,” she said.

“It is heartbreaking to see that women in our society are still being murdered in 2024 with no support whatsoever provided to families with no strategies there to tackle violence against women.

“It was so important for me to go and stand there to show the city is united against violence against women.”

Marie Brown, CEO of Foyle Women’s Aid, who addressed the vigil said she was “extremely moved”.

She added: “Women’s Aid has been extremely concerned and worried about the levels of abuse against women and the levels of homicide in Northern Ireland.

“We have just come through supporting the family of Katie Simpson, who went through a horrendous trial, so the impact for families is horrendous. It is ongoing. We still work with families who had murders 20 years ago or longer. That trauma never leaves.

“I am worried it has just become an every day event. We have a really big problem, and I am asking the Executive to come out and to be very clear about a strategy for women and girls particularly, as it is the femicides that are in the majority.”

She added that the Ending Violence Against Women and Girls Strategy and Action Plan must be implemented and resourced then read out the names of 22 women murdered in the north since 2020.

Goretti Horgan of Alliance for Choice, who chaired the vigil, said the north was the femicide capital of Europe.

Ms Horgan added: “We are here too often to remember murdered women. More women are murdered per capita than in any other part of Europe.

“We wanted to have this vigil to remember the two women who were killed in the same week in Co Derry. We need to show solidarity with the families of those women and every woman who is living in fear and maybe unable to leave the violent situation she is in.”