COl RABBLE THE ASSOCIATION of Professional and Executive conference on 29 April to 1 May. anti-Government Winchester.
support democratic principles and the and trade union propaganda contained in the journal of the The Belfast Appeal Court two weeks ago confirmed the seven year jail sentence on 21 year old Noreen She had been manslaughter of her father, who had continually raped her from the age of 11.
There is now a "Free Noreen Winchester' campaign which has established links with English feminists. GEOFF BELL reports. The Winchester family came from the Protestant working class heartland of Sandy Kow in Belfast. Noreen's mother, Annie married at l6 when By the time she taken mental hospital she had given birth to case. 16 children, cight of whom die in the first few years of life worked but her husband Norman took all the money, leaving Annie only E2 a week Winter pricelvictions for convictions shoplifting food.
the eldest MY ELS daughter, and journalist Sarah Nelson who has researched the entire case has described how Noreen's ordeal began when all i she was 11 and continued under constant threats of violence father's deats. He and attack kitchen...and drive her into the This morarcycle degradation and sexual deviations were frequent fearures of the attacks.
Annie Winchester was also Frequently raped and beaten up by her husband. When Noreer was 17 her mother could take no more and left home. But her husband made her drop divorce proceedings and from that time Aanie was never allowed into the house.
Her fatber made Noreen leave her job on the pretext that she had to care for the children. She was only allowed out of the house on Saturdays to do the The lather sent the rest of the children out of the house all day on Sundays, and would then Every Sunday was torture for Noreen; the night she killed ber Father was a She stabbed, him 21 times wile he slepr and with her brother and sister dragged the body She was eventually arrested and charged Little of this care our at the trial. The defence lawyer did a deal with the prosocution - the dropping of the murder charge in return for a guilty plea lo sentenced for Neither Noreen, her mother nor her munt who knew the family history best was called to testify, although both Noreen's social workers and her lawyers knew the background to the The psychiatrist's report maintained 'to escape from his influence she killed him but (this) cannot explain why sbe took this method of escape" A social worker and Noreen's main defence lawyer were both to later say that prison would help Noreen, but despite he ordeal sheis a lively, intelligent woman.
Noreen Winchester's case is not simply a вогу of miscarriage of rustice. Abov is an illustration of attitudes and prejudices The lawyers, jndges, police sOci workers horrified at the manner of the That Noteen had done it a bight when the fatber was asleep, was reprehensible. Apparently she should have had a stand fight with this violent brutal man.
Noreen's lawyers and socia workers never explained the legal options open to Noreen who. like many warking clas people, was mystified by the legal proceeding There were hints that Norcer had really loved" her farber, because she had never tried to escape from the house; would have happened to th other children had she done se was probably never asked Sexual assault in the famis was apparently quite continen where Noreen lived, so it was not scen as such a terrible thing Such thinking means tha Noreen Winchester will now spend seven years in prison.
That she should be fred unmediately is so obvious ir hardly worth saying. But sat all the same and in saving beware of a search scapegoats.
No one person, or group o people are to blame; there was no conspiracy ober than tha of a society who chose Noreen Winchester as a sacrifice for its I brusal twisted values.