Warning: This article discusses rape and domestic violence.
This year several high-profile celebrities who had allegations made against them about sexual or physical abuse against women died, sparking numerous public tributes. But those eulogies can have a devastating impact on survivors of such abuse.
For survivors of sexual or domestic violence the accolades can feel like a total obliteration of their victimisation , according to Women s Refuge CEO Dr Ang Jury.
This doesn t just affect the celebrities victims but can also be damaging for everyday men and women who have experienced abuse.
Dr Jury said reading endless comments online praising abusive people or hearing co-workers singing abusive celebrity s praises can be confusing and distressing for victims.
Vanessa Thorpe
Sean Connery, one of Britain’s greatest screen stars, has died at the age of 90. The Scottish actor, forever linked with the role of James Bond and regularly saluted as the best to play the famous part, was mourned by the entertainment industry and his many fans on Saturday as the news broke.
Nicola Sturgeon, Scotland’s first minister, said she was “heartbroken” to learn of the loss of the actor, also one of the most prominent campaigners for an independent Scotland: “Our nation today mourns one of her best loved sons. Sean was born into a working-class Edinburgh family and, through talent and sheer hard work, became an international film icon and one of the world’s most accomplished actors.”