In response to the horrific attacks made in Sligo during the past week, OutWest has issued the following statement;
OutWest Press Release
14.04.22
The following statement from the OutWest committee is in response to the murders of the two men in County Sligo this past week.
The OutWest Committee would first like to extend our sincerest condolences to the family and friends of both victims, we would like them to know they are in our thoughts and hearts at this very difficult time. The pain of these losses are being felt widely in the West of Ireland.
It’s hard to comprehend in this day and age in our quiet community in the West of Ireland that we have been shaken by such violence and such behaviour is unfathomable. In the interest of showing support and solidarity for both men, their families and the community we will be attending the vigil this Friday 15th April at 6pm at Sligo Town Hall where our we will be available to support the community. We will also be holding a vigil in the Market Square, Castlebar, Co. Mayo at 7pm on Saturday 16th April to express our condolences.
In light of Garda questioning the use of dating websites in these horrific crimes we would advise that if you are going to meet someone unfamiliar to try and take some practical steps to ensure your safety. We understand that it’s not always possible to be vigilant and that our community shouldn’t have to take precautions for our safety against such horrible actions, but we feel these steps could be of use to take to protect oneself.
- Gain as much information about the person before meeting.
- Try to have a video call to verify the identity of the person versus their profile.
- Ask for personal information like social media information or work/home details.
- Try to meet the person in a public space or with friends if possible.
- Always let a friend or trusted contact know if you’re planning to meet someone privately giving details of where, when and how long you may be expected to be gone for and check in with that person afterwards to let them know you’re safe and well.
IF anyone has been effected by this and needs support at this or any other time one can find information to contact us on our website www.outwest.ie. You can also find support through the National LGBT+ Helpline on 1800 929 539, www.lgbt.ie and ADVIC who are a support group offering free professional counselling, peer support, practical information & legal assistance. www.advic.ie.
