A 31-year-old man has been charged with the murder of Ashling Murphy

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The world has been mourning the death of Ashling Murphy, a 23-year-old primary school teacher who was attacked last Wednesday in County Offaly, Ireland.

Murphy was attacked while out running, with the police confirming in a press conference that she sustained serious injuries 'consistent with assault'. She was found by a member of the public who alerted emergency services but tragically she died at the scene.

This week, 31-year-old Jozef Puska was arrested and charged with the murder of Ashling Murphy.

Puska was taken to a special sitting of Tullamore District Court on Wednesday where he was charged with her murder.

Puska is reported to have said 'no' when charged and cautioned.

He has been remanded in custody and will appear at Clover Hill district court again on 26 January.

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'We want an end to male violence against women,' Orla O'Connor, Director of Ireland's National Women's Council told the BBC. 'There is a lot of anger and frustration that has been expressed. This has really triggered past experiences of physical and sexual violence that women have had.'

She continued: 'It also really shows how much women are limiting their lives because of the fear and threat of violence. Here was a young woman going for a run during the day when everyone expects to be safe.'

'It doesn't matter who she is, it doesn't matter where it was, it doesn't matter what time of day it is,' announced Irish Deputy Minister Leo Varadkar. 'It is never justified, it is always wrong.'

We will continue to update this story.

Jenny Proudfoot
Features Editor

Jenny Proudfoot is an award-winning journalist, specialising in lifestyle, culture, entertainment, international development and politics. She has worked at Marie Claire UK for seven years, rising from intern to Features Editor and is now the most published Marie Claire writer of all time. She was made a 30 under 30 award-winner last year and named a rising star in journalism by the Professional Publishers Association.