The number of women and girls killed in Ireland has almost doubled in a year, a shock Mirror investigation has found.
We have established that some 13 females were victims of homicides in Ireland in 2022. That is an increase of six femicides from 2021’s toll of seven – and a hike of a massive 85 per cent.Our investigation has established that six women have died violent deaths this year – and 2023 is not even half completed. If the worrying trend continues, there are likely to be more than 10 women victims in 2023.
A Mirror analysis of all femicides shows there have been 38 since the start of 2019. In 2019, there were six victims. That was the same toll as 2020. There were seven in 2021, 13 in 2022 and six in 2023, as of last night.
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The youngest female victim was aged two. That was little Santina Cauley, murdered by Karen Harrington in her Cork City apartment in July 2019. The oldest victim was 88. The victims’ average age was 40.
Four victims were aged under 10. That included little Carla McGinley (3) killed with siblings Conor (9) and Darragh (7) by their mum Deirdre Morley at the family home in Newcastle, south Dublin in January 2020. She was later found not guilty of their murders by reason of insanity.
Two girl victims were aged between 11 and 20, including Asfira Raza Banu (11) murdered by her father Sameer Syed (38) at the family home in Ballinteer, south Dublin in October 2020. He also murdered his wife Seema Banu (37) and Faizan (6). He was charged with their murders, but took his own life last year.
Eight women victims were aged between 21 and 30, the range with the highest number of deaths.
Victims in that age range included Sandra Boyd (36) who was shot dead at a house in Finglas, north Dublin in March 2022. Her brother Derek Boyd (28) admitted her manslaughter and was later jailed for two years. The gun went off accidentally when he was holding it.
Those aged between 31 and 40 accounted for five deaths, while there were six victims aged between 41 and 50.
Victims aged between 41 and 50 included Urantsetseg Tserendorj, who was 48 when she was stabbed to death as she walked home from work in central Dublin in January 2021. A 17-year-old was later convicted of her murder and jailed for life with a review after 13 years.
Six were aged between 51 and 60 and seven were over the age of 61.
They included Anne Butler (71) found dead at her home in Kilkenny City in March 2020. Trevor Rowe (31) is serving life for her brutal murder. His court cases heard Mrs Butler suffered a tortuous and painful death in her own home.
We have also established that in just four of the 38 cases - or approximately 10.5 per cent – the victims didn’t know their killer, or the person who has been charged over their deaths. That means a staggering 89.5 per cent of female homicide victims knew their killer, or alleged killer.
Among them was mum of two Jasmine McMonagle (28), strangled and beaten to death at her home in Letterkenny, Co Donegal in January 2019. Her on-off partner Richard Burke (32) was earlier this year jailed for 14 years for her manslaughter.
Some 29, or 76.2 per cent, of victims died in the family home. That included Jennie Poole (24) stabbed to death in her apartment in Finglas, north Dublin in April 2021 Her ex-boyfriend, Gavin Murphy (30) was jailed for life for her murder in April.
Two women died in a car. One of them was Mary O’Keeffe (72) who was found in a burning car in woods at Doneraile, Co Cork in February 2021. Michael Leonard (64) of Hillcrest, Glenosheen, Kilmallock, Co Limerick is serving life for her murder. She had ended a relationship with him and he refused to accept it.
Three women died in a public area and one in a hospital after an attack in her own home. A further three died in another property that was not their home.
In 12 of the cases, or 31.6 per cent, gardai have already secured a conviction. In 19 cases, or exactly 50 per cent, a person has been charged. In three cases, or 8 per cent, the killer was identified, but later took their own life and the investigation has been closed. And in two cases or 5.2 per cent, the killer was found not guilty by reason of insanity.
That is also the number of unsolved cases, where nobody has been brought before the courts or took their own life after the killing.
However, in both instances gardai have identified and arrested a suspect, but they were later released without charge and the investigation is ongoing.
Some 16 victims were stabbed – which is 42 per cent of all deaths. Another 12 (31.5 per cent) died from assaults and four were strangled, which is almost 11 per cent.
Age ranges of victims
Average age: 40
0-10 (4)
11-20 (2)
21-30 (8)
31-40 (5)
41-50 (6)
51-60 (6)
61 -70 (1)
71+ (6)
Investigation stats
No charges: 2 (5.2 per cent)
Convicted: 12 (31.5 per cent)
Person charged and before the courts: 19 (50 per cent)
Instances where suspected killer takes his own life after the murder: 3 (8 per cent)
Cases where murder accused have been found not guilty by reason of insanity: 2 (5.2 per cent)
Location of deaths
Family home: 29 (76.2 per cent)
Public area 3 (8 per cent)
Other house/property: 3 (8 per cent)
Car: 2 (5.2 per cent)
Hospital: 1 (2.6 per cent)
How they died
Assault: 12 (31.6 per cent)
Stabbed: 16 (42.1 per cent)
Strangled: 4 (10.5 per cent)
Shot: 2 (5.2 per cent)
Arson: 3 (8 per cent)
Suffocated: 1 (2.6 per cent)
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