Chair of The Workers Party Women's Committee, Ursula Meighan has criticised US President Donald Trump for claiming that domestic abuse is not a crime.

Ms Meighan slammed remarks made by Donald Trump, in relation to crime statistics in Washington DC due to his intervention with the National Guard, which he said would be down by 100% if it wasn’t for domestic abuse, which is not really a crime but a disagreement between husband and wife. 

Commenting, Ms Meighan said: "This is the so-called leader of the free world prepared to turn the clock back once again in relation to a woman's right not to be abused physically or verbally to satisfy his own agenda. There are men in our society who will seek to justify their own actions because they look up to him and others just like him.

"Violence against women and girls is increasing and has resulted in the deaths of women in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. In the last five years, 37 women have been violently killed in the republic and 25 in Northern Ireland, with around 60% of deaths at the hands of a current or former intimate partner.