The word ‘incel’ is short for ‘involuntarily celibate’.
They are primarily men, who believe they’re doomed to be alone, blaming society, women, and sometimes themselves for their isolation. But beneath the surface, there’s something far more sinister.
Multiple mass murders and shootings have taken place in recent years as a result of this new ideology.
In August 2021, 22-year-old Jake Davison shot and killed 6 people in Plymouth, including a 3-year-old girl. Davison was active on incel forums and had previously had disagreements with his mother over his misogynistic views.
The explosion of the ‘Incel’ community online has led to multiple forums, chats and groups based on their beliefs, the largest of them having over 200,000 members.
How does someone become an ‘Incel’, have they always existed, and how dangerous are their beliefs?
Ciarán Dunbar is joined by the Belfast Telegraph’s Kurtis Reid and Olivia Peden, who went undercover on one of these forums.
Inside the ‘Incel’ movement
