To Feel Utterly Helpless - release of Natalie Connolly killer

[Arthersleep]

I feel so utterly helpless. The killer of young mother, Natalie Connolly, is about to be released after serving 18mths for killing Natalie under the guise on consensual rough sex! The 41 injuries from which she died included a fractured eye socket and severed artery in the vagina caused by horrific internal injuries. Natalie was too drunk/impaired to consent. A campaign to get the Attorney General to review the lenient sentence failed, after he concluded that it fell within the acceptable range and that she may have consented. The Rough Sex defence has now been out lawed and cannot be relied upon in court, which is a great step forward. However, what, if anything, can we do to appeal/object to the early release of the perpetrator?! As a woman I feel utterly helpless. I feel that we are or have not been listened too. I feel that the law is so concerned with convoluted rules that it fails to achieve the purpose with which it was created. How must this poor ladies family feel, beyond utter devastation. I don't know what to do.

womansplaceuk.org/justice-for-natalie-connolly/

This is how much the law of the land values women.

18 months for a brutal, vicious murder. But hey, she's just a woman, so who gives a shit?

THE LAW DOESN'T WORK FOR WOMEN.

I doubt his sentence would be so lenient if he'd done the same damage to a man, who died of blood loss when his penis was severed.

He'd have done decades for it.

Our society is still inherently and disgustingly sexist. Men in positions of power still don't understand consent or indeed believe that women should have consent. This case is so repulsive and so depressing it makes me despair.

This is what happens in a society that normalises violent porn as one of these things that all men watch.

So, what an we do about it?! If it wasn't for Covid, I would try to organise a march. Petitions online re reviewing her sentence have failed. Harriet Harman failed in her quest to have his sentence reviewed. As have other domestic violence groups. So, I feel that, as an individual, there is nothing that I can do. And that makes me feel lousy and, well,to be honest, about worthless! But Mumsnet is a powerful force of brilliant strong women. So am hoping that someone here will help me think of a way to help my voice, and that of Natalie's and her family's, be heard.

Wow I hadn’t even heard about this case and now I’m deeply, deeply disturbed. Can another petition be started? Public pressure is capable of doing amazing things. Let’s take to Twitter, Facebook, everywhere. I wouldn’t have known about this if you hadn’t made this thread so even this has had a positive effect OP

Can we put something up on change.org? The petition site?

I'd ignore TinyButton. They're just posting goady shit on various threads - for attention I assume. I expect it's a hairy handed type and the 'tiny button' refers to their penis.

Absolutely disgusting. I remember reading about this case in the news. How sickening for her family to know how her life was ended and for the man responsible to get so little punishment!

Women's Lives Matter? Obviously not.

I sometimes think that only female judges should be allowed to try cases of serious violence where the victim is female.

@foamrolling, bloody priceless!

Tinybutton, you know you keep asking yourself why women don't like you? This. This is why women don't like you. Because you're inherently unlikeable.

It really doesn't help when Men's Health issue an article about how to undertake in strangulation during sex and also identifying that many people die from this. Twitter has been active all day about it with an MP getting involved and writing to the editor.

Challenging things where this is sadly becoming the norm needs to happen.

It’s awful.

I’m with you OP.

This is absolutely sickening 😤

I hadn't heard of this case, it's awful. Will the killer be on a sex offenders register? I hope so.

WeCantConsentToThis is a great campaign that has worked against this 'rough sex' defence to try and get in banned in trials. They also catalogue and remember every woman who has been murdered in this way.

Bit ironic the comments from TinyButton are bullshit.

I hadn't heard of this case, how awful for the girl and her family.

I feel sick, this is awful.

Would any MNs who live in the Home Secretary's constituency be able to write to her as their constituency MP and ask her how she feels about this and what she thinks can be done. I expect the answer will be nothing but it will be interesting to see what answer she gives to a constituent about this.

I think I first read this letter about Natalie Connolly from a midwife to the Attorney General on Mumsnet. It's heartbreaking. womansplaceuk.org/justice-for-natalie-connolly/

I suppose at least we all know what we are worth. 18 months.

You could have added something more constructive

So could you

Thats a great idea zilla would be very interesting to see a reply to that

Just a horrendous case and such a short time served

I came to post about this. Horrific. Murderer walks free.

His fitbit tracker proves he did not report her death for hours. He said she was 'dead as a donut'
He is a monster who should never be freed,.