PSNI statement after MP speaks out on rape threats

Sorcha Eastwood addresses the Commons on Thursday
-Credit:Reach Publishing Services Limited


The PSNI have said that they are committed to supporting elected representatives to do their job in a manner that is free from "harassment or intimidation" after Alliance Party MP Sorcha Eastwood opened up on her experience of being subjected to the threat of sexual violence.

Speaking in the House of Commons last week, the Lagan Valley representative told her fellow MPs that she received her first rape threat while running for election for the first time in 2017 and also spoke of being approached in Stormont while giving a tour of the building to a school group and being approached by a member of the public who told her that they wanted to rape her.

The Lagan Valley MP began her speech saying: “I am a survivor of abuse myself. Northern Ireland is one of the most dangerous places in Europe to be a woman, I have to say I’m really upset that there are no other members from Northern Ireland here.

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“Statistically speaking there will be people in this building who are the perpetrators, more often the people doing this are people we know, people we love, and that’s what makes it even more traumatic, upsetting, and disgusting.

“One thing that really, really disturbs me, terrifies me for my life, is incel culture. I am an elected rep in Northern Ireland, I stood for election the first time in 2017 and that was when I received my first rape threat, my first.

“That should not be normal and in recent days previous members have sought to put forward a narrative that that should be taken as part and parcel, not just of public life, but particularly of the life of elected reps in this House.”

Ms Eastwood continued: “We previously did a lot of visits to the Northern Ireland Parliament building Stormont whenever I sat there in the Northern Ireland Assembly, and during one school visit a member of the public came up and said they wanted to rape me.

“And there were two people there and we just kind of were paralysed with the response, and that was not the right response. Not from me, but from the people around.”

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Ms Eastwood also argued that Northern Ireland is behind other countries when it comes to violence against women and girls, because of its “troubled past”.

She added: “We are having to deal with that legacy of trauma and conflict, layered on top of that we are having to deal with the issues that every other woman and girl across the globe is facing.”

Following her contribution in the chamber, safeguarding minister Jess Phillips approached Ms Eastwood and gave her a hug.

The PSNI has confirmed that they have since been in contact with Sorcha Eastwood MP to discuss what they term "unacceptable comments" made to her in 2022.

Speaking about threats made to elected representatives District Commander in Lisburn and Castlereagh, Superintendent Kelly Moore added: “It is totally unacceptable when those involved in public life, and particularly our elected representatives, become the subject of threats, harassment or any other form of criminality. We will thoroughly investigate any such incident.

“We know that female elected representatives in particular, can suffer a disproportionate level of unacceptable and criminal behaviour including online abuse and harassment.

"The Police Service is committed to supporting all our elected representatives and doing everything we can to ensure they do their jobs free from harassment or intimidation.”

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