FEMME FATALITIES

 » Our inquiry reveals shocking levels of attacks on women & girls » 13 killed last year is almost double tragic toll from 2021  » With 6 deaths this year already grim total set to rise higher still  

- MICHAEL O’TOOLE

THE number of women and girls killed in Ireland has almost doubled in a year, an Irish Mirror investigation can reveal today. 

We have established 13 females were victims of homicides in 2022 – that’s an increase of six from the year before representing a massive hike of 85%.

And with half of 2023 still to come, already six women have suffered violent deaths this year.

If that grim trend continues, there are likely to be more than 10 women killed in 2023.

An Irish 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.

Santina Cauley, who was just two when she was murdered by Karen Harrington in her Cork city apartment in July 2019, was the youngest victim.

While the oldest woman to die violently was 88, the average age of the victims was 40.

Four victims were aged under 10. They included Carla McGinley, three, who was killed with her brothers Conor, nine, and seven-year-old Darragh.

They were killed 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. Asfira Raza Banu was just 11 when she was murdered by her father Sameer Syed at the family home in Ballinteer, South Dublin, in 2020.