Examination of Witnesses (Questions 773-779)
DR MARIE
SMYTH
2 MARCH 2005
Q773 Chairman: Good afternoon and welcome.
I am sorry that we missed you last week when we came. I do not
know whether you were having a well earned break.
Dr Smyth: I was unfortunately
not having a break. I was doing something else. I think you missed
the chief inspector as well.
Q774 Chairman: He had the `flu, yes.
We had a very interesting visit but I fully understand that you
are not here as part of that organisation. You are just here because
of the experience that you have had and because of the work that
you have done over this. If you could put a label on who has suffered
most as a result of the troubles, would it be men, women, the
young, the old, Catholics, Protestants?
Dr Smyth: I am not sure whether
the Committee has access to it but I have prepared a summary of
the main findings of some of the research I have done.
Q775 Chairman: I am sure we have that.
Dr Smyth: It depends on what we
mean by "suffering". My work was concerned to provide
an overview of the impact of the conflict and I used death as
a surrogate for other effects. I tested it statistically and I
assumed that if the death rate in a particular area was high you
could read across and assume that certain other things followed
from that, such as injuries, displacement and so on. By and large,
I am using death as an indicator therefore. In terms of who has
suffered most, it is young people. More 19 year olds have died
as a result of the Northern Ireland conflict than any other single
age group. Men have died overwhelmingly. 91.1% of all those who
were killed have been male. That is not to say however that women
have not suffered; rather that the kinds of effects are very highly
gendered, depending on whether you are male or female. If you
are male, you are much more likely to be killed or injured or
to be involved in direct acts of violence, either as a perpetrator
or a victim; whereas if you are female you are much more likely
to be a witness.
Q776 Chairman: Or you are much more likely
to be widowed or bereaved.
Dr Smyth: Absolutely, or be a
carer of somebody who is disabled.
Q777 Chairman: I understand why you have
done this, to get a grip on the figures, but surely death is not
the only criterion.
Dr Smyth: No.
Q778 Chairman: There are many ways of
suffering. There is surviving death and being disabled for the
rest of your life.
Dr Smyth: Absolutely.
Q779 Chairman: There is being widowed
or orphaned.
Dr Smyth: Yes.
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