Murders of two gay men in Sligo

JupiterKid · 13-04-2022 6:59pm #1

The shocking and gruesome murders of two gay men in Sligo Town over the past couple of days is a kick in the teeth for the LGBT community, the people of Sligo and anyone who believes in a harmonious and just society in general.

Such senseless and wanton savagery inflicted on two harmless men and it looks like a hookup or dating app was the common denominator - Gardai have arrested a suspect in his 20s.

I really thought Ireland had long since moved on from the dark days of the 1980s when gay men like Declan Flynn and Charles Self were murdered in homophobic hate crimes and I know that tremendous social progress for the better has been made in the past 30 years - but I also feel that since the 2015 same-sex marriage referendum, successive govts since then have taken their eye off the ball on LGBT rights and a sense of complacency had set in.

These murders have shaken me and many others - gay and straight. I dearly hope that the brutal murders of these two men are not in vain and that stalled hate crime legislation is finally enacted.

Riesen_Meal · 13-04-2022 7:06pm

It is absolutely abhorrent what has happened them men, you would have to wonder what is going through a chap in his twenties head to do such evil thing's?

Surely he has family members, friends and associates who are gay...?

Not forgetting the other homophobic attack that's happened in Dublin over the weekend either, that poor chap attacked outside Gayspar...

It's 2022, I thought society had near moved past this crap...

Brucie Bonus · 13-04-2022 7:09pm

Terrible for all involved. Hopefully it being a sparsely populated area they'll solve it quickly.

silverharp · 13-04-2022 7:11pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058241567/murders-of-two-gay-men-in-sligo

why do you assume the suspect is Irish?

enricoh · 13-04-2022 7:12pm

Thankfully with CCTV and mobile phones it's a lot easier to catch scumbags nowadays. In the 70s a big slice of luck was required. Rip to the 2 men.

JupiterKid · 13-04-2022 7:15pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118922637#Comment_118922637

Please show me in my first post where I assumed the suspect was Irish? 🤔 All I posted about the suspect was that he is in his 20s.

garlic bread · 13-04-2022 7:15pm

Shocking to see this headline on the news. Rip to the two deceased men. You would have to wonder at the level of hate someone would have to do something like this.

Wibbs · 13-04-2022 7:16pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118922620#Comment_118922620

Thankfully society has to a great extent, but there are still pockets of homophobes out there. Large enough pockets too in my experience. We were buoyed up by the passing of the SSM referendum, but it was easy to forget that nearly 40% of the electorate voted no. Now the vast majority are just windbags all bluster, or gutless **** like the guy who shouted at Leo Varadkar the other day, but among them are real pricks like this guy.

Jarhead_Tendler · 13-04-2022 7:22pm

It is awful indeed reminded me of Colin Ireland in England many years ago. Hopefully the killer is caught and faces the harshest punishment available

Rikand · 13-04-2022 7:23pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058241567/murders-of-two-gay-men-in-sligo

I think its a stretch to blame a perceived stalling government over what are clearly the actions of a total **** psychopathic nutjob.

No matter what kind of legislation is in, if that person wanted to kill people, they were going to.

13-04-2022 7:23pm

Spare a thought also for the poor man in Sligo who was stabbed in the eye. It’s highly likely it was the same psycho who assaulted him too.

13-04-2022 7:26pm

Terrible crimes no doubt, RIP.

Not sure what bringing in hate crime legislation would do? These were two murders. Murder is murder. Mandatory life sentence if convicted. Hate crime legislation wouldn't change that.

The_Kew_Tour · 13-04-2022 7:27pm

Is it the same suspect for both?

13-04-2022 7:31pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118922718#Comment_118922718

It appears to be.

Riesen_Meal · 13-04-2022 7:31pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118922701#Comment_118922701

I was thinking about that but didn't want to speculate, has that been confirmed at all?

Mwengwe · 13-04-2022 7:31pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118922637#Comment_118922637

here we go

(they didn't)

The_Kew_Tour · 13-04-2022 7:36pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118922742#Comment_118922742

I hope whoever did it gets its day in hell.

Andrea B. · 13-04-2022 7:37pm

Why is it being assumed to being a homophobic attack?

13-04-2022 7:37pm

Hopefully they have the guy, seems like the type that was going to keep going until caught.

cgcsb · 13-04-2022 7:41pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118922763#Comment_118922763

Ah I miss read one of the earlier stories.

Either way the gardai are still appealing for information and they've been questioning that suspect some time now with no charge.

Mwengwe · 13-04-2022 7:41pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118922769#Comment_118922769

You'd know if you bothered to read any of the statements released

titan18 · 13-04-2022 7:42pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118922699#Comment_118922699

Tbf actually having a government and justice system harsh on crime would have had a good chance on preventing it. I doubt he just woke up and decided to murder people, he probably has priors (and as they're linking an attack last week to the same suspect, he did).

Andrea B. · 13-04-2022 7:44pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118922791#Comment_118922791

I have. Is it known that the killer was not gay? Is it homophobic if the killer is gay? I haven't seen any such info.

Faugheen · 13-04-2022 7:47pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118922769#Comment_118922769

Gardai are investigating a ‘hate’ element and if both men met their attacker on dating apps.

I mean put two and two together for Christ’s sake.

...Ghost... · 13-04-2022 7:53pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118922746#Comment_118922746

The OP seemed to imply the perpetrator was Irish in the way the post was worded. Another poster seemed to think it ridiculous to assume it could be within the 15% non Irish population. It would certainly seem that a higher than 15% proportion of murders making the headlines turn out to be committed by the15%. Irish culture, tolerance and indeed acceptance of the LGBT community has come very far, but some cultures from some communities living here may not have that same acceptance. I would not assume the nationality of the perpetrator, but I would not be surprised if the person was not Irish.

Faugheen · 13-04-2022 7:53pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118922841#Comment_118922841

Actually, gay men are absolutely capable of killing gay men for the reason they are gay.

Andrea B. · 13-04-2022 7:59pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118922857#Comment_118922857

And with that, you would be surprised if the person was Irish?

FoxyVixen · 13-04-2022 8:05pm

Lads seriously. Two families just lost their loved ones in an horrific and sudden manner.

Keep the rumours to the town so that the families don't have to see it here right now. There's a reason the media are keeping a tight lid on it right now.

JP Liz V1 · 13-04-2022 8:11pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118922714#Comment_118922714

Life really should mean Life not just 25 years

...Ghost... · 13-04-2022 8:12pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118922887#Comment_118922887

Truth be told, I wouldn't be surprised if the person was half Irish, half Slovak, trans-woman but identifies as a non-binary Elf on the weekend. I wouldn't care either. A murderer is a murderer no matter the makeup of the person. I just wouldn't be assuming the nationality or sex unless there was good reason to.

JupiterKid · 13-04-2022 8:15pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118922943#Comment_118922943

Yes, I well remember the 1998 case of a gay American expat writer who was brutally assaulted in Sligo - where he was living at the time - by two local youths and left permanently paralysed for life.

Beechwoodspark · 13-04-2022 8:19pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118922946#Comment_118922946

Prison is WAYYY too handy in this country

13-04-2022 8:20pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118922946#Comment_118922946

It doesn't mean 25 years.

JP Liz V1 · 13-04-2022 8:23pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118922997#Comment_118922997

What is a life sentence here?

Denny61 · 13-04-2022 8:26pm

Reaction I meant

Donald Trump · 13-04-2022 8:26pm

There was some story on one of the online outlets earlier (could have been RTE.ie) about the Gardai advising people to tell others when they are going to meet people from dating apps.

Not sure whether it is relevant here.

Luxembourgo · 13-04-2022 8:29pm

Awful, I hope the murderer is found

RIP

13-04-2022 8:32pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118923026#Comment_118923026

Life is life. However, it usually is not all served in prison. Prisoners can get an early release, depending on the parole board.

They can be returned to prison at any time.

Denny61 · 13-04-2022 8:32pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118923058#Comment_118923058

Obviously your not clever enough to join the dots ..

FoxyVixen · 13-04-2022 8:33pm

He responded to a serial killer in the quiet town of Sligo where both men came to unimaginable ends. A town which has been rocked to its core over the gruesome nature of these attacks and shocked that it was a suspected hate crime

How dare he condemn that.

Donald Trump · 13-04-2022 8:34pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118923073#Comment_118923073

Have SF come out yet to condemn the murder or are they waiting just in case the murderer might have paid up their membership for this year?

I might not be clever enough to "join the dots" - but I do know the difference between "your" and "you're"

13-04-2022 8:36pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118923073#Comment_118923073

Jesus. Place never ceases to amaze at what some people choose to get offended by

Heraclius · 13-04-2022 8:36pm

People giving out about Varadkar might want to remember that one victim was an FG party member. People giving out about Varadkar on this thread would also want to have a hard look at themselves.

Beechwoodspark · 13-04-2022 8:41pm

What the hell kind of mindset/background does the murderer have?? Awful

Andrea B. · 13-04-2022 8:41pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118923077#Comment_118923077

Hate labouring this, but there is no evidence (that I know of anyhow), that it is a hate crime, as per the definition.

Of course it is a line of inquiry.

Jequ0n · 13-04-2022 8:43pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118922913#Comment_118922913

I really don’t get that argument.

Anyone affected by a situation who decides to read a thread on it in a discussion forum will be aware that they might read things they might not like to hear. Where do you draw the line?

jimwallace197 · 13-04-2022 8:44pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118923070#Comment_118923070

This is not the states. Once free & as long as they comply with whatever probation conditions are attached to their release assuming there is any. They are free to do as they please. Your post makes out that once they're released, any sort of issue whatsoever & they're back to prison for the rest of their lives. Not so