Northern Ireland: CFWIJ Is Highly Alarmed By The Latest Wave Of Death Threats To Patricia Devlin
Location: Northern Ireland
Date: February 13, 2021
Award-winning journalist Patricia Devlin again received sinister death threats on Friday. A graffiti depicting her name and a gunshot sign was drawn on different locations in east Belfast. The chilling sight of graffiti addressing Patricia is a direct threat to her life.CFWIJ is highly alarmed as this has happened before with Patricia. We demand law enforcement agencies in Belfast to investigate and apprehend whoever is behind such vicious threats.
Patricia, the Sunday World journalist again received death threats on Friday. Graffiti of her name and a crosshair was drawn at different locations in east Belfast. Police have made no arrest so far. Patricia has been receiving all sorts of threats since 2019 for her reportage on drugs and crimes network linked with loyalist paramilitary groups. In April 2019, she received grave threats for her then newborn son, followed by a campaign that gave out her address and names of her family members.
Patricia reached out to the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) for legal action but they seem to fail to investigate the matter. The journalist has even written to Scottish police to cooperate in her case to locate the suspect. Patricia also received threatening Facebook posts which she did report but were not taken down. The posts were targeting Patricia for her coverage of the ongoing paramilitary feud between North Antrim and Northern Ireland.
Several journalists and human rights organizations have condemned the latest attacks on Patricia. They demand an immediate investigation on the severity of these threats. Patricia shared on her Twitter account, “ Thank you to the many people in east Belfast who made me aware of this sinister graffiti today. I think it’s clear to everyone who and what is behind it, and why. I will continue to report on the thugs and bullies terrorizing their own communities.”
Thank you to the many people in east Belfast who made me aware of this sinister graffiti today.
— Patricia Devlin (@trishdevlin) February 12, 2021
I think it’s clear to everyone who and what is behind it, and why.
I will continue to report on the thugs and bullies terrorising their own communities.https://t.co/8zYYxAx6Gu
The Coalition For Women In Journalism demands PSNI and Scottish authorities to clear any communication gap and catch the culprit behind these attacks. We also urge the Police Ombudsman of Northern Ireland to push the police to conduct a swift and fair inquiry of the matter. We offer our full support to Patricia and wish to see her safe and secure performing her duties.
The CFWIJ strongly condemns the police brutality against journalists. We demand the immediate return of the press cards seized from the security forces. Policies to intimidate journalists should be abandoned, and journalism should be practiced under the criteria of freedom of the press.
If you have been harassed or abused in any way, and please report the incident by using the following form.
