Sinn Féin MLA Deirdre Hargey has expressed her condolences to the family of a woman found dead in south Belfast.

The south Belfast MLA was speaking after police launched a murder investigation into the death.

Deirdre Hargey said:

“It is absolutely devastating to hear that police are now treating the death of a 22 year-old woman, who was found dead at her home on Tuesday, 1 October, as a murder.

“My heartfelt thoughts are with this woman’s loved ones as they come to terms with this tragic loss of life.

“This is the fourth woman to be murdered in the north in just six weeks. This is absolutely sickening. Violence against women and girls anywhere in our society is reprehensible and must be eradicated.

“The executive’s recently launched Strategic Framework to End Violence Against Women and Girls sets out how it aims to tackle this scourge on our society. We must do everything we can to bring violence, harm and abuse of women to an end.

“The local community is shocked and saddened by the death of this young woman and I would appeal to anyone with information to bring it forward to the PSNI.”