Last night, vigils were held across Ireland in memory Ashling Murphy, the 23-year-old teacher murdered on Wednesday afternoon. Ashling was out for a run at around 4pm when she was attacked on the banks of the Grand Canal outside Tullamore, County Offaly. She was found by a member of the public suffering serious injuries and given medical attention, but could not be saved.
More than 50 officers have been assigned to the investigation, with detectives stating on Thursday that they believe Ashling was killed by one man acting alone. Police arrested a 40-year-old man on suspicion of her murder, but he has since been released and is ‘no longer a suspect’, according to a statement from gardaí (Irish police).
Now, they have renewed appeals for information from potential witnesses who were near the scene (at Cappincur, Tullamore) on Wednesday afternoon. Specifically, they are asking anyone with information about a ‘Falcon Storm mountain bike’ with ‘straight handlebars and distinctive yellow/green front forks’ to come forward.
The reaction online has been one of renewed anger and devastation at yet another woman’s life taken at the hands of male violence. The phrase ‘she was just going for a run’ began trending this morning, eerily echoing the deaths of Sarah Everard and Sabina Nessa when ‘she was just walking home’ and ‘she was just going to see a friend’ trended respectively.
Some have taken issue with the statement, questioning whether it implies some element of victim-blaming through use of the word ‘just’ – as if there are some activities that would warrant or explain a woman being killed due to it.
But frankly, policing the way women react to such tragic and overwhelming examples of our vulnerability feels unnecessary. ‘She was just walking home’, ‘She was just going for a run’, ‘She was just meeting a friend’, they’re all repeated again and again to hammer home how incredibly unsafe women are doing the most basic things in life.
This is not to detract from the very real misogyny that undermines women who are abused or killed in other situations, but to help others understand how at risk we are – in ANY situation. In saying ‘She was just’, women are attempting to prove the point that male violence is pervasive everywhere.
It’s not prevented by stopping women going out at night, by changing our clothes or by drinking less – male violence exists whether we’re walking through a park in the morning, out for a quick jog in the afternoon, meeting a friend five minutes from our home: we are vulnerable no matter what we do. The only conclusion then, is that it’s men who need to change. That’s what women are hoping people realise when we say ‘She was just’ – that it’s not our responsibility to change how we behave, dress or interact with men, that MEN must bear the burden of tackling male violence by changing their OWN behaviour – in all the pervasive ways they actively or subconsciously contribute to the perpetuation of male violence.
Andy Burnham, mayor of Greater Manchester, did an excellent job of illustrating this last month with a campaign that is currently recircling online. In a video called #IsThisOk, a woman is seen falling victim to sexual harassment consistently throughout her day – showcasing the escalation of fear women feel when catcalling, intimidation and inappropriate touching becomes a routine occurrence in our daily lives.
Ultimately, narratives like this matter because they put pressure on our policing institutions and government to implement real change when tackling male violence. They spread awareness, encourage introspection and increase the likelihood that councils, schools, police and businesses will take an active role in changing the culture of misogyny and male privilege that puts women’s lives at risk every day.
If you’d like to know more about vigils being held in memory of Ashling Murphy, follow the National Women’s Council of Ireland:
Read More:
Until We Admit The Enormity Of Male Violence We Won’t Be Able To Stamp It Out
Tackling Male Violence Is ‘Not A Priority’ Within The Police, Watchdog Report Finds