This week, our thoughts have been with the family and friends of Jill Barclay; we’re sure yours have been, too.
While the senseless and brutally violent killing of Jill in September last year appalled and angered the north of Scotland, it was Wednesday’s sentencing of the man who murdered her that appeared to wake the rest of the UK and, indeed, the world up to the horror she endured.
Reading Lord Arthurson’s full sentencing remarks earlier this week would not have been easy or pleasant for anyone, but seeing the torturous reality of her murder laid bare may help us to understand a fraction of the terror Jill experienced and the pain her loved ones will suffer with, always.
Recent societal discussions about women’s safety have tended to focus on big cities many miles south of the small community of Dyce, but Jill’s death emphasises that such heinous crimes can be committed anywhere. Her killer was not known to her, which sparks more fear; she could have been anyone.
But, though her name will now forever be associated with unthinkable cruelty, it is important to remember that Jill Barclay was by no means just anyone.
Jill had so much ahead of her
At 47, Jill was a vibrant, unique individual with many wonderful years still ahead of her.
She was loved and gave love, comfort and support to those nearest and dearest to her – in particular, to her young children, who must now not only navigate the rest of their lives without their mother, but grow up knowing of the ordeal she suffered, dealing with the trauma that knowledge will inevitably leave in its wake.
Jill had so much more love to give, so many more achievements – great and small – to attempt and accomplish, so much more life to live. Nothing can bring her back, nor undo the unfathomable damage Rhys Bennett caused with his actions.
In our communities and across our society, we must keep talking openly about women’s safety, the presence of harmful misogyny on social media, mental health, the law, and much more
Justice must be served, yet his official sentence of a minimum of 24 years in prison before potentially becoming eligible to apply for release left many feeling unsatisfied.
While the likelihood is that Bennett will spend the rest of his life behind bars, there is understandable anguish over the suggestion that he could feasibly walk free before his 50th birthday. Unsurprisingly, debates around Scotland’s judicial system have followed, and will likely continue.
How can we ensure that such an atrocity never happens again? The unbearable truth is that we cannot. But, in our communities and across our society, we must keep talking openly about women’s safety, the presence of harmful misogyny on social media, mental health, the law, and much more. As is so often the case, communication and education are absolutely key.
The Voice of the North is The Press & Journal’s editorial stance on what we think are the most important issues of the week
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