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Since 2020, 25 women and six men have been murdered in Northern Ireland. These are the grave statistics recently heard at the South Eastern Trust’s seminar ‘Open Conversations: Breaking the silence, Building a stronger response to sexual health, violence and abuse’.

The event, held at Lisburn’s Civic Centre, was organised to discuss and engage the impacts on women, men and children who experience domestic and sexual abuse, both in their families and their own personal relationships.

The delegates heard from a panel of professionals including representatives from Belfast and Lisburn Women’s Aid, the Executive Office, Department of Justice (DoJ) and the Department of Health (DoH). Exhibitions ranged from Officers from Lisburn and Castlereagh’s PSNI’s promoting the ‘Power to Change’ initiative, Nexus, ASSIST NI, NSPCC, INEQE Safeguarding Group and South Eastern Trust’s Fostering team were also in attendance.

Keynote speaker Jim Gamble, CEO, INEQE Safeguarding Group, said: “Domestic and Sexual violence can happen to men and women, we need to keep a tight focus on the fact that the vast majority are women leaving children and young people extremely vulnerable and there are many, many people in same sex relationships who suffer and it can happen to anyone.”

South Eastern Trust Assistant Director Jason Caldwell, Safeguarding and Family, South Eastern Trust’s Health Development Specialist, Sexual Health and Disability Gabrielle O’Neill, Belfast and Lisburn Women’s Aid’s Helen Russell and Traci Kimber, Co-Ordinator South Eastern Trust Area Domestic and Sexual Violence Partnership. Pic credit: SEHSCT

South Eastern Trust Assistant Director Jason Caldwell, Safeguarding and Family Support commented: “I think this seminar has left us with a challenge, not only within the South Eastern Trust but in Northern Ireland – how do we measure that what we are doing is making a difference?”

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Belfast and Lisburn Women’s Aid’s Helen Russell explained how the organisation has been working with women who are the victims of domestic and sexual violence for the past 50 years.

“Domestic and sexual violence is a very complicated, nuanced issue with many facets to it,” she said. “In order to deal with it, you need to understand it.

Traci Kimber, Co-Ordinator South Eastern Trust Area Domestic and Sexual Violence Partnership and Lisburn Castlereagh PSNI Inspector Ryan Moore. Pic credit: SEHSCT

"Having an event such as this, it’s important for us to get exposure to the professionals and decision makers so that we can all work collaboratively to address this issue.”

South Eastern Trust’s Health Development Specialist, Sexual Health and Disability Gabrielle O’Neill added: “United we can all build a stronger response to sexual violence and work together to support, protect and empower society through open, honest and courageous conversations.”

Key messages heard at Trust led domestic abuse seminar in Lisburn