MP says she received rape threats and describes herself as ‘survivor of abuse’
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A Northern Ireland MP has described herself as a “survivor of abuse” while speaking in the Commons, as she told MPs of her experience of receiving rape threats. Alliance MP Sorcha Eastwood said a member of the public “came up and said they wanted to rape me” during a school visit she was leading at Northern Ireland’s Stormont.
Ms Eastwood was visibly emotional as she spoke about her experience of abuse in Parliament for the first time. During the debate on violence against women and girls, Ms Eastwood also raised concerns about incel culture, an online group who describe themselves as “involuntary celibates”.
The Lagan Valley MP began her speech saying: “I am a survivor of abuse myself. Northern Ireland is one of the most dangerous places in Europe to be a woman, I have to say I’m really upset that there are no other members from Northern Ireland here.”.
She added: “Statistically speaking there will be people in this building who are the perpetrators, more often the people doing this are people we know, people we love, and that’s what makes it even more traumatic, upsetting, and disgusting.”. Ms Eastwood continued: “One thing that really, really disturbs me, terrifies me for my life, is incel culture.
“I am an elected rep in Northern Ireland, I stood for election the first time in 2017 and that was when I received my first rape threat, my first. “That should not be normal and in recent days previous members have sought to put forward a narrative that that should be taken as part and parcel, not just of public life, but particularly of the life of elected reps in this House.”.
