Debate contribution: Violence against Women and Girls: Deaths of Amy Doherty and Ellie Flanagan
Debate contribution by Ms Cara Hunter on .
- MLA
- Ms Cara Hunter
- Party at the time
- Social Democratic and Labour Party
- Date
- 23 March 2026
- Type
- Debate contribution
- Business
- Matter of the Day
- Heading
- Violence against Women and Girls: Deaths of Amy Doherty and Ellie Flanagan
- Assembly identifier
- Official Report component 5465208
Read the official Assembly record
Text
Amy Doherty was in her late 20s.She was mother to Rhea and Ronan; a loved daughter of Patrick and Sharon; a sister to Shane and Ryan; a granddaughter, a niece, a cousin and a friend to many. Over the weekend and today, I have been genuinely lost for words to say about the continuing murders and to say to Amy's family to provide them with comfort.
There really is nothing to say other than what other Members have echoed today. It feels as if, every other week, we stand in the Chamber, grieve the life of another woman brutally taken and demand change. We demand action; a few weeks pass; and then, sadly, the cycle begins again. In the past week, women across the North have shared online their stories of surviving domestic abuse. They have compared living with abusive partners to a living, breathing nightmare. Their lives are lived on eggshells, and their children are scarred for life. We all know and love someone in a domestic abusive relationship — someone whom we check in with regularly. We know the fear that they feel. We pray and hope that the next horrific headline will not be about them. I say that that is not good enough. That collective holding of breath for women across Northern Ireland is not only wrong but unfair. We must call this what it is: femicide. We cannot become accustomed to 30 women being brutally murdered since 2020 as "normal". Ellie Flanagan was 23 years old with her whole life ahead of her. She was known and loved by all in her community, her family and her friends. It is a true tragedy. Those beautiful, caring, loved women are so much more than just statistics and names on a page. I say, "No more" to this horrific behaviour. The cruelty and brutality of such men must end. That means ensuring that men speak up and join our voices and believe us when we tell our stories. We must get to the root of this horrific, ongoing problem. Many women feel that men get more time in prison for a drugs offence than they do for attempted murder. The system is not fair, and it needs changed. It is time for harsher laws; for more education; and to make those who instil fear in women feel the fear of the law and the consequences of their violent actions. Enough is enough. An unchanged society will continue to leave a generation of Northern Ireland's daughters dying at the hands of inaction and brutality. May God bless Amy, Ellie and their families in the coming days, and may their precious souls rest in peace.
446 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.
Assessment
Jev’s structured answers met the documented threshold for “not flagged”.
- Overall probability that the activity is being used to promote, exploit or escalate an identity-based controversy: 0.07 (flagging needs at least 0.70; at or below 0.30 is not flagged).
- None of the five culture-war criteria was met (each was below 0.60).
- No identity-based framing was identified (0.91).
- Subject area: Sexism, misogyny, ageism and other equality groups.
- The overall probability was at or below the not-flagging threshold.
This is an AI-generated assessment of the text, made against published criteria. It is not a finding of fact about the MLA or their intentions. The Assembly record itself is the fact.
Jev’s structured answers
| Question | Probability | Met? |
|---|---|---|
| Identity framing | 0.27 | No |
| Sectarian or communal antagonism | 0.11 | No |
| Cultural grievance politics | 0.02 | No |
| Dog-whistle messaging | 0.14 | No |
| Controversy escalation | 0.04 | No |
| Legitimate policy scrutiny | 0.55 | No |
| Overall judgement | 0.07 | At or below not-flagging threshold |
| Option | Probability |
|---|---|
| No identity-based framing (chosen) | 0.91 |
| Reports or questions it | 0.00 |
| Criticises or condemns it | 0.08 |
| Adopts it | 0.01 |
| Subject | Probability |
|---|---|
| Sexism, misogyny, ageism and other equality groups | 0.52 |
| Gender, sexuality, abortion and related social issues | 0.48 |
| No identity-related subject | 0.00 |
| Flags, emblems, symbols, names and memorials | 0.00 |
| Parades, bonfires and commemorations | 0.00 |
Assessed 21 October 2026 at 15:06 UTC by jev-1.13.0 (requested as typesafe/jev) under rubric 2026.10-r9, methodology 1.9.
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