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Irish Times
5 days ago
- Politics
- Irish Times
‘Significant and necessary': Advocacy groups welcome proposal to change ‘honest belief' rape defence
Sexual violence support groups have welcomed proposed changes to consent law that could see 'honest' belief of consent no longer being considered a legal defence in rape cases. Rape Crisis Ireland (RCI) executive director Dr Clíona Saidléar said the change would raise the current 'low bar' of consent law in Ireland. 'This reform will be a modest change where defendants can no longer simply rely on their own understanding of an honest belief they had consent,' Dr Saidléar said. 'The change, which has been under discussion since 2016, will raise this low bar and require that that belief not only be honestly held, but also reasonable.' READ MORE The planned reform is at an advanced stage, with backing from the Law Reform Commission and as a key part of the Government's plan to take action on consent laws. Welcoming the reform, RCI said the 'paramount concern' for survivors of sexual violence is that laws and policies effectively uphold and deliver justice. The organisation added that it would closely examine the legislation's wording when it is published, 'but expect there to be broad agreement given the amount of scrutiny the proposal has already had in recent years'. The National Women's Council (NWC) said the proposal to remove the honest belief in consent as a legal defence in rape cases would be 'a crucial step towards a justice system in Ireland that centres survivors'. Speaking of the potential impact of this reform, NWC's violence against women co-ordinator Ivanna Youtchak said it would help shift the balance toward a justice process 'that recognises consent must be freely given, voluntary, ongoing, and affirms survivors' right to be heard and believed'. [ Shocking domestic violence data adds further urgency to new strategy Opens in new window ] Women's Aid chief executive Sarah Benson said the change was 'long overdue' and 'an important step to help improve victims-survivors' confidence' in the Irish justice system. 'The removal of the present scenario where an 'unreasonable' belief in consent can be grounds for an alleged perpetrator to be found innocent of rape is an important step to help improve victims-survivors' confidence that there can be justice in these deeply traumatic legal processes,' said Ms Benson. 'Women's Aid will monitor the progress of this action in the hope that it will be taken quickly, as it is already long overdue.' Dublin Rape Crisis Centre (DRCC) also welcomed the proposed legislative change. In a statement shared to social media on Monday, the charity described the reform as 'significant and necessary' and said it reflected a 'victim-centred focus'. The organisation said it had expressed concern in November 2023 when it was revealed that the provision was being removed from draft legislation. 'This reform will ensure that any belief in consent must be objectively reasonable, rather than based on subjective beliefs. It is a crucial step in strengthening protections for survivors and ensuring that perpetrators are held accountable for their actions,' DRCC chief executive Rachel Morrogh said. [ 'Scale of our sexual violence epidemic' shown by record calls and texts to national rape crisis helpline Opens in new window ] 'The passage of this legislation cannot come soon enough and we remain committed to working with all stakeholders to create a justice system that truly supports and protects survivors of sexual violence.' According to figures from DRCC's annual report, published in May, the national Rape Crisis Helpline received more than 20,000 contacts for the first time last year. This marked a 22 per cent increase on 2023; 37 per cent of the 22,700 contacts made in 2024 related to rape as an adult.
The Journal
02-06-2025
- The Journal
Thousands of images of Irish women and girls uploaded to site containing sexual threats
GARDAÍ HAS BEEN urged to investigate an online forum where thousands of images of girls and women from across Ireland have been posted without their knowledge. The pictures appear to have been taken from both the public and private social media accounts of those targeted, with some posted alongside sexual threats. They appeared on content sharing site Reddit in an Irish subgroup which encourages its 3,200 plus members to 'trade' images of 'IRL (in real life) girls' for sexual gratification. Many of those images include teenagers in their school uniforms, alongside their names, ages and locations. Their schools are also easily identifiable. Other pictures were of women, some clearly taken without consent. Most of the content was published alongside misogynistic, sexist and explicit comments, most of which is too offensive to publish. One post included an image of a woman getting into a car, clearly taken without her knowledge. It was uploaded to the Irish subgroup, where one user encouraged others to share similar images. The group specifically targeted women and girls from the north and south of Ireland, with some posts listing victims by county. Requests were also made to upload images of females from specific towns and cities. After being made aware of the forum by The Journal Investigates , Clíona Saidléar, Executive Director of the Rape Crisis Network Ireland urged gardaí to investigate. She said that due to the seriousness of the content involved, she would be unable to provide further comment. 'This is a matter for gardaí and I would urge them to investigate,' Saidléar said. In a statement issued to The Journal Investigates , a Reddit spokesperson confirmed it had now taken down the group, which had been active since August 2024. 'Non-consensual intimate media has no place on Reddit,' a spokesperson said. 'We prohibit this content and have teams, tools, and processes dedicated to dedicating and removing it. In line with our policies, the community in question was banned.' PSNI 'will take action' The Journal Investigates also contacted gardaí about the activities of the online forum. However, at the time of publication, it had not responded to requests for comment. However, in a statement issued to The Journal Investigates , the PSNI said it will 'take action if images of women and girls of an explicit nature are shared online' and vowed to investigate 'any harmful threats made'. PSNI Detective Superintendent (DS) Lindsay Fisher said: 'We recently launched our Power to Change campaign which is aimed at placing a societal focus on those who objectify and disrespect women. Advertisement 'The main purpose of this campaign is a call to action, where boys and men are asked to speak out against misogynistic behaviour and talk to friends or family who may be engaging either in person or online in this way. DS Fisher added that 'all women and girls should be free and feel safe' to use social media without being 'the subject of abuse and objectification'. 'As a Police Service we will take action if images of women and girls of an explicit nature are shared online, and will investigate any harmful threats made.' Reddit, where users can create niche online communities called 'subreddits', allows users to share content, discuss topics and interact with others who share similar interests. Each subreddit has its own set of rules, and is moderated by self-appointed 'community members'. The subgroup in question was set up and moderated by one account since August last year. That account, under an anonymous username, claimed to be a male from Ireland who had just celebrated his 18th birthday. Some using the group also claimed to be still in school, with some organising 'trades' of images on other platforms. One disturbing post, named a school in the north of Ireland and requested 'stories' of girls aged '15 or 16'. In another, users were asked to upload pictures of their female relatives. File image of the Garda Commissioner Drew Harris. In 2020, gardaí launched an investigation into the alleged uploading of images and videos of Irish women and girls, without their consent, to a number of online forums. It was after advocacy and lobbying group Victims Alliance claimed tens of thousands of images had been shared, many including minors. However, Garda Commissioner Drew Harris later said there have been no formal complaints made of image-based sexual abuse in relation to the images. He also confirmed that around 10,000 images had been assessed, but none contained 'images of child abuse within them'. — Patricia Devlin is an investigative reporter with The Journal Investigates . Our investigative unit is dedicated to lifting the lid on how Ireland works. This takes time and it takes resources. Find out how you can help: Support The Journal Investigates Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone... A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation. Learn More Support The Journal
