Women targeted in stabbings in Belfast

[ThinkIveFoundYourMarbles]

Three women stabbed and two more punched in the neck/head. Motive isn't clear yet but I'm guessing it's no coincidence that the victims are all women.

@kattyboomboom

Were they targeted solely because they were men?

Well, I've not had a chance to speak to the killer yet as police haven't caught him, but most stabbings are aimed at males because usually they're about asserting dominance over a geographical area. If a group of lads stray into the wrong postcode they can very easily end up a statistic.

But that's entirely different to being attacked solely because of their sex.

I'm not arguing that men aren't victims of violence. They are. But men aren't generally attacked whilst minding their own business just because someone is angry for some reason because men are out and about in public.

I know the areas well that these attacks happened in. I've walked them many times myself and used to live on one of the roads. This isn't a dispute about territory, it's pretty obvious it's about someone wanting to hurt women and frighten other women.

This isn't a dispute about territory, it's pretty obvious it's about someone wanting to hurt women and frighten other women.

Maybe, but it could also be a mentally ill person.

A few more details here but not much.
www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/northern-ireland/five-women-assaulted-in-belfast-three-stabbed-and-two-punched-in-separate-attacks-as-police-hunt-male-suspect-riding-bike-39617563.html

SDLP MP Claire Hanna
Horrific attack, apparently targeting 3 separate women over course of 2 hours. No one should have to feel anxious on our local streets. I recently co-sponsored @stellacreasy Westminster proposal to make misogyny a hate crime category & this underlines that need.
twitter.com/ClaireHanna/status/1315903805817487361

The comments section on the Belfast Telegraph page is depressing. Shocking number of laughing emojis. Laughing at the the idea of a man targeting women, laughing at the idea that women are effectively put under a curfew when these things happen, laughing at the idea that women get blamed when they are victims of violence.

The Belfast Telegraph Facebook page that should say.

@kattyboomboom

I don't really want an argument though tbh, just saying that men have it much worse in the violence arena and it's silly to pretend otherwise.

Yes they do, because men are the ones who commit the vast majority of violence towards men. We’re not talking about something that happened in England, we’re talking about NI. When was the last time you read anything relating to NI?

@caughtalightsneeze

The comments section on the Belfast Telegraph page is depressing. Shocking number of laughing emojis. Laughing at the the idea of a man targeting women, laughing at the idea that women are effectively put under a curfew when these things happen, laughing at the idea that women get blamed when they are victims of violence.

It goes back to what I was saying earlier. NI is rife with misogyny. The irony of those aresholes laughing at violence against women, while denying that misogyny exists.

men aren't generally attacked whilst minding their own business just because someone is angry for some reason because men are out and about in public.

Sure they are.

It’s all about keeping it hidden in case we’re not seen as progressive. Yet, even here, female spaces are now becoming unisex, at the expense of females. Scratch the surface of any ‘progressive’ movements and you’ll find the same old sexism. Even the change to abortion laws is just crumbs thrown to women. It’s up until 12 weeks, which means many women will end up hitting the limit, before they know they’re pregnant. Religion controls most laws here.

100% this.

Also agree with the comments about bel tel Fb comments. I’ve stopped reading any comments underneath local news reports because they are just so depressing. We’re getting nowhere at all here in NI.

@deydododatdodontdeydo

men aren't generally attacked whilst minding their own business just because someone is angry for some reason because men are out and about in public.

Sure they are.

For being male?

We’re getting nowhere at all here in NI.

Women certainly aren’t. Men are getting everywhere.

@kattyboomboom

I don't really want an argument though tbh, just saying that men have it much worse in the violence arena and it's silly to pretend otherwise.

Does your 'violence arena' encompass ALL violence? Including domestic abuse, sexual violence and rape?

Because while you are right about street violence and fights having predominantly male victims if you start to involve everything I consider to be violence I'd say females experience more - not that this is a race to the bottom but that is what came to mind when I read your post. Or am I being silly and pretending otherwise?

For being male?

Yes.
Some men appear to be territorial. They will intimidate or attack other men for slights such as being in their neighbourhood, looking at them funny, looking weird, being in their pub, "looking at their bird", having the wrong team shirt on, a whole host of other reasons, where women in the same situation wouldn't be attacked.

It's a shame this thread became all about men being poor little victims. Also, someone quoted me but only latched onto one thing I said. Maybe quote the whole thing next time? I didn't say if this happened to men it would be all over the news, I said he would have been caught straight away.

@deydododatdodontdeydo

For being male?

Yes.
Some men appear to be territorial. They will intimidate or attack other men for slights such as being in their neighbourhood, looking at them funny, looking weird, being in their pub, "looking at their bird", having the wrong team shirt on, a whole host of other reasons, where women in the same situation wouldn't be attacked.

Those aren't examples of being attacked for being male. Those are examples of being attacked for being perceived to have carried out an action that the attacker considers to be 'wrong'. And note I am not justifying it, I'm saying that the attacker would use that justification.

If you don't mind, can we keep this thread about the young women who have been attacked by a man for the crime of being a female who has gone outside?

Anyway, I'm pretty annoyed at the suggestion that women should have a curfew or not go out alone.

They should be telling men to stay inside and not go out without a male chaperone who can keep him in check.

The police have released a CCTV image today but he was dressed head to toe in black and had a hood up so I think you'd have to know him pretty well to recognise him sadly.

It's scary stuff. They've released a CCTV pic so with luck someone will recognise him soon. For some reason I expected it to be a teen off his face on drugs but the build of the man in the image looks like an adult.

I don't know, I can recognise all the men and women in my street who cycle from a distance by their bikes, build and typical clothing, if it had been one of them in the pic I'd have recognised them I think. With luck the same is true here.

Looks like they now have facial images - they’ve just been released. I hope someone recognises him from these (if it is him!)

Does your 'violence arena' encompass ALL violence? Including domestic abuse, sexual violence and rape?

Because while you are right about street violence and fights having predominantly male victims if you start to involve everything I consider to be violence I'd say females experience more - not that this is a race to the bottom but that is what came to mind when I read your post. Or am I being silly and pretending otherwise?

I'd say men have worse overall tbh.

Men are 400% more likely to be attacked by a stranger, whilst women are 10% more likely to suffer domestic abuse (I think it was 40% vs 60% from memory but most studies believe that many men are reluctant to report for fear of being seen as unmanly.

As I understand it, men are more more likely to be attacked by a stranger, whilst women are more likely to be attacked by an acquaintance of partner. Men make up almost 80% of worldwide homicides (70% in the UK).

Women definitely suffer more sexual violence. But on the other hand, you could look at men being conscripted into military service and this would make the % of male sufferers even higher.

FFS kattyboomboom, if you’re so concerned about male violence on males, feel free to start a thread and stop bleating on about the poor men, on a thread about a particular MAN who has attacked five WOMEN!

Freaky thing is, that front facing photo is the spit of a man I knew briefly years ago. He really hated women and was a bundle of barely suppressed rage. I'm actually slightly wierded out by it. Neither of the other two photos looks like him though.