Deputy First Minister determined to press on in spite of abuse…

A deeply unpleasant story this. As reported at Belfast Live

Northern Ireland’s deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly has told how she has been left living in fear after receiving a death threat.Ms Little-Pengelly told the Stormont Assembly she had received an online threat and that an individual had been prosecuted and is awaiting sentencing…

…In response to a question about ending violence against women and girls, Ms Little-Pengelly said: “The Online Safety Act of 2023 introduced new UK-wide laws that protect both children and adults from online harm and place specific obligations on online service providers.

“We support Ofcom’s call to tech companies to play their part in addressing the risk of online harm and recently met with them to discuss this important issue.”

She added: “I am pleased to have got confirmation in the last couple of weeks that a person had been successfully prosecuted under a Section 181 charge against me.”

The BBC also covered the story, sharing details of the individual convicted

“Aaron Thomas Curragh, 34, of Whincroft Road in Belfast, last week pleaded guilty to a charge brought against him through the 2023 Online Safety Act.Curragh had previously been convicted of attacking the office of Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) assembly member Joanne Bunting. Last week a court hearing heard Curragh had sent a message to Little-Pengelly via the social media platform X “which conveyed a threat of death or harm”.

In an interview with the Belfast Telegraph (the full article is paywalled, but well worth a read if you are subscribed), the Deputy First Minister elaborated on her feelings

“I am in public life to do all I can to make a positive contribution.

“That is very much what motivates me to do this role, from pushing forward an agenda I feel passionately about to representing individuals and helping them to get their issues resolved and matters sorted. It is a hugely rewarding job. However, particularly in recent years, the level of abuse to those in public life has increased due to social media and, indeed, can be regularly toxic and sinister,” she said… “As a woman in public life, that is genuinely upsetting and frightening. It is not right that any person should feel scared of violence or death — in this case, due to my public role”.

All societies are divided at some level over issues that each faction involved may feel strongly about. While those issues may be heightened here in Northern Ireland, democracy exists to provide a mechanism through which these divisions may be worked out peacefully. Emphasis on PEACEFULLY. Whilst your friendly moderator team will always strive for neutrality when bringing news to your attention, we do draw the line at threatening others, particularly politicians whom you disagree with and we note that women in politics seem to suffer a disproportionate measure of this sort of abuse and that it is always unwarranted.

Slugger Team

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