A Belfast woman who was sexually abused as a child and successfully prosecuted her abuser is one of the key speakers at this year’s Reclaim the Night march.
Haileigh Ashton Lamont reported her stepfather to the police in 2020 after enduring ten years of sexual abuse and now works as an advocate for people who have suffered abuse. Her abuser is currently serving a 16-year sentence.
She says that women should not be afraid or ashamed to talk about their own experiences and is currently fighting for changes to the criminal justice system from a victim’s perspective.
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Speaking ahead of the Reclaim the Night rally at Writer’s Square in Belfast, Haileigh said: “I would never tell women to go to the police. I tell them the truth from my experience and let them make informed decisions.
"The fact is going through the courts is a brutal process. I do not regret reporting my abuser but it is a very difficult path to take.
“If a woman decides not to proceed with the criminal justice route I believe that it is the responsibility of everyone in our community to ensure that abuse and assault will not be tolerated, we will not look the other way, the truth will be exposed and the victim will be supported.”
Hundreds of people are expected to attend Reclaim the Night, which began on the streets of Leeds in 1977 as a protest against the West Yorkshire police’s advice to women to stay at home at night in response to 13 murders carried out by the Yorkshire Ripper. The campaign has expanded to include all gender-based violence.
Co-organiser Danielle Roberts said the event was as important as ever as the lack of a Stormont Executive was having a profoundly negative effect on the safety of women in Northern Ireland.
She said: “This is our ninth Reclaim the Night Belfast annual event, and once again we are without a government. While there is ongoing work on the Violence Against Women and Girls Strategy and Domestic and Sexual Abuse Strategy, these cannot be realised while we are in political limbo. “
Ms Roberts said that three years after the Gillen Review into serious sexual offences in Northern Ireland, only a third of Judge Gillen’s recommendations have been implemented.
“We need to make sure legal protection is not just on paper. We also need support services that are resourced and accessible," she added.
"This is highlighted by the recent closure of Regina Coeli House, the fact there is only one specialist Sexual Assault Referral Centre for the region, and limited refuge spaces for disabled people.
“Additionally, the hostile environment and No Recourse To Public Funds presents barriers to accessing support for migrants and asylum seekers who experience gender-based violence. Reclaim the Night Belfast is a chance to highlight all these issues, as well as sending a message of support and solidarity to victims and survivors.”
The other speakers at the Reclaim the Night Rally at Writer’s Square on Saturday include Juanita Rea, an interdisciplinary artist and visiting scholar at QUB; Nuala Toman, Head of Policy, Communications, Information and Advocacy at Disability Action; Mardi Kennedy, Coordinator Sex Workers Alliance Ireland; Alexa Moore, one of the founding directors of TransgenderNI and a Representative from Rainbow Refugees NI.
The President of Queen’s Students Union, Emma Murphy will speak about the ongoing attacks on female students in the university area.
The Reclaim the Night rally takes place at Writer’s Square on Saturday. The speeches will begin at 5.30pm followed at 6pm by a march around the city to Custom House Square. The event marks the first day in 16 days of action addressing violence against women.
For more information about Reclaim the Night click here.
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