Candlelight vigil held in reminiscence of Karen Cummings

At a candlelight vigil in reminiscence of the seventh girl murdered in Northern Eire this 12 months, individuals heard that “sufficient is sufficient”.

Karen Cummings, 40, who was a kids’s nurse, was discovered unconscious at a home in Banbridge final weekend and died shortly afterwards.

Police stated the mom of two suffered head accidents. Two males appeared in court docket earlier this week charged together with her homicide and had been remanded in custody.

Crowds of individuals gathered on Thursday night for a vigil in reminiscence of Ms Cummings at Solitude Park in Banbridge.

Banners bearing the names of the 25 girls killed within the space since 2020 had been held up on the occasion organized by Ladies’s Assist Armagh and Down and a minute’s silence was noticed of their reminiscence.

The organisation’s chief govt, Eileen Murphy, urged the Authorities to do extra to sort out violence in opposition to girls and ladies.

“Seven girls, and the 12 months remains to be counting, have been murdered in Northern Eire,” she stated.

“What we need to do is urge the federal government to take actual and acceptable motion, as a result of if we do not, we are going to proceed to lose moms and sisters, wives and daughters to perpetrators of violence. “

Noel McNally, father of Natalie McNally who was pregnant when she was murdered in Lurgan, Co Armagh in December 2022, additionally addressed the gathering.

“Once we heard about Karen’s brutal homicide it reminded us of what occurred to our Natalie two years in the past this week and we all know precisely what Karen’s household goes via,” he stated.

“We’re heartbroken for them, however I do know all of you right here tonight coming to assist Karen’s household, what consolation they are going to take as a result of the consolation we obtained from the individuals coming to assist us when Natalie handed away was completely incredible .

“Violence in opposition to girls and ladies in Northern Eire should finish. »

Armagh, Banbridge and Craigavon ​​Deputy Mayor Kyle Savage stated sufficient was sufficient.

“We collect right here in grief, in remembrance and in solidarity to honor the lifetime of Karen Cummings,” he stated.

“This could not have occurred to him and we hope that by taking a stance like this tonight we hope the message will probably be loud and clear that this can’t occur once more.

“The violence that ladies face in our society can not be ignored or tolerated. Each girl has the best to really feel secure and stay with out concern of hazard.

“To Karen’s household and family members, our ideas are with you presently of unimaginable grief.

“We cry with you, we are going to proceed to demand change. Let this be the second the place we are saying loud and clear: sufficient is sufficient, violence in opposition to girls should cease. »

Earlier on Thursday, following a gathering of the Stormont Government, First Minister Michelle O’Neill and Deputy First Minister Emma Little Pengelly stated ministers had mentioned with concern that seven girls had been murdered in Northern Eire in 2024 and their technique to finish the violence. in opposition to girls and ladies.

“This isn’t acceptable to anybody, but it surely additionally highlights that we’ve got a deep-rooted drawback in society, that there’s an unlimited quantity of labor to be performed, and it doesn’t fall on one company, a division or entity to resolve this drawback,” Ms O’Neill stated.

She stated preventive work is “vitally vital”.

Ms Little Pengelly added that the Government needs to ship a “very clear message concerning the unacceptable ranges of violence in opposition to girls and ladies and all violence basically”.

“We’re completely appalled by the newest homicide, because the Prime Minister stated, it’s the seventh this 12 months. It’s a problem all over the place. Ranges are notably excessive in Northern Eire. “That’s why we determined to publish this technique and the supply plan,” she stated.

“And naturally our ideas are with the household and all of the households of those girls who’ve been killed this 12 months, however we’re decided over the subsequent 12 months to accentuate our efforts by specializing in this very , very tragic. »