Two shocking cases which reached an outcome before the courts in Belfast and Dublin last Friday set out in graphic and unmistakable terms the level of violence which is taking place against women across Ireland.
Alice Morrow and Anne Colomines were ordinary citizens from completely different backgrounds who were murdered in very similar circumstances in their own homes by individuals in whom they had been prepared to place their trust.
The body of Ms Morrow (53), a mother and grandmother, was found at her flat in east Belfast in March, 2019, with a pathologist later telling Belfast Crown Court that she had received a total of 71 injuries to her head and chest, including one which would have rendered her unconscious, and that a weapon had been used in the process.
Her partner, William Stephen Hutchinson (45), initially denied any involvement, but a judge ruled that Hutchinson, who did not admit his guilt until the morning his trial was due to start, had effectively beaten his victim to death and should serve a minimum of 21 years before he could be considered for release.
The attitude of Renato Gehlen (39) was even worse, as, despite the overwhelming evidence that he had repeatedly plunged a knife into the chest of his wife, Anne Colomines (37), in October, 2017, he maintained his innocence throughout and forced her relatives to endure a full trial.
A jury at the Central Criminal Court rejected his ludicrous claim that she had somehow stabbed herself four times, including once through the heart, at their north Dublin home, and unanimously convicted him of the murder, for which he received a life sentence.
The whole life order given to police officer Wayne Couzens last month for the appalling murder of Sarah Everard (33), after he abducted her as she walked through south London the previous March, focused major attention on the unacceptable risks faced by women in public places.
However, the fate suffered by both Ms Morrow and Ms Colomines demonstrated that women can often be equally vulnerable in their own homes.
There are clear indications that domestic attacks have risen sharply during the pandemic on both sides of the border, and, while it is disturbing that many still do not result in prosecutions, Friday’s sentencing sends out a strong message that the courts will respond robustly when convictions are obtained.
