Women’s Aid director gives a frightening picture of what life is like for families in abusive homes

The murder of Clodagh Hawe and her three young sons at the hands of her husband Alan has shocked the entire country.

We reported earlier this week about how Clodagh's death has been largely elided from the media coverage of the horrific killing, citing a Facebook post by Women's Aid highlighting just how shockingly common it is for Irish women to die at their partner's hands. https://twitter.com/sineadredmond/status/770936977894019072 In today's Irish Examiner, Women’s Aid director, Margaret Martin, gives a fuller picture of what life is like for families where domestic violence is prevalent - and it makes for very disturbing reading.

“In 2015, women disclosed to us on 970 occasions, that their abusive partners threatened to kill them, their children and their families,” Margaret writes. “There were 579 additional disclosures of assaults with weapons, threats with weapons, and being strangled and smothered.”

She adds: "Extreme jealousy, possessiveness, and patriarchal concepts and attitudes are also red flags for domestic homicide." Margaret also called on the media and wider public to take care in how it describes murders such as the Hawe families in terms that connote "love" or "passion".

"It can blur or remove the victims from the picture and excuse the perpetrator,” said Ms Martin. “Most importantly, it also frightens and further isolates other women living in abusive situations around Ireland. “We must focus on preventing future cases by encouraging women being abused by their partners to speak out.”