#ThisIsNotConsent: Irish-women post underwear pictures to support rape victim
What's the story
Women in Ireland have taken it upon themselves to teach their country, and the world, what consent means by putting pictures of their underwear on Twitter and taking to streets to chant 'clothing is not consent'. The outrage started after a teen victim's thong was cited as evidence to show she consented to sex and wasn't raped by a 27-year-old. Here's more.
The case
During trial, accused denied all allegations leveled by victim
A jury, comprising eight men and four women, at Central Criminal Court concluded that the accused didn't rape the victim. The accused welcomed the verdict by breaking down in court. During cross-examination by the prosecution, the defendant denied all charges. When he was accused of dragging the victim to a spot and raping her, he claimed it didn't happen. He claimed she consented.
The proceedings
Defendant asked to describe the incident
When asked to describe the sexual contact, he said he wasn't fully erect and didn't remember his penis entering the victim's vagina. The defendant claimed they were lying in a muddy area. The prosecution told the defendant an eye-witness saw him holding her neck, and in response, he said the onlooker may have misread the situation. He said 'they were attracted to each other'.
Conversation
Victim told accused, "You raped me"; he denied
Notably, during the hearing the victim said, "You just raped me" and the defendant said, "No, we just had sex." The prosecution left it on the jury to decide if the sexual incident was with consent or not. But the case gained national attention when the defendant's lawyer Elizabeth O'Connell SC discussed the victim's underwear to prove she agreed for the intercourse.
Quote
She was wearing a thong, said lawyer
"Does the evidence out-rule the possibility that she was attracted to the defendant and was open to meeting someone and being with someone? You have to look at the way she was dressed. She was wearing a thong with a lace front," she told jury.
The outrage
Women took it upon themselves to teach what consent means
Elizabeth's remarks angered women in the country and they decided to do something about it. On Wednesday, they took to streets to set the record straight about consent. They shouted, "Clothes are not consent" and "Yes means yes, no means no". The women also showed placards with striking messages, but the highlight was, obviously, them carrying their underwear to make a statement.
Twitter Post
A sight to behold: In solidarity with the victim
Crowd is chanting that 'clothes are not #consent': the sense of solidarity, belief and conviction for change is palpable. #ThisIsNotConsent pic.twitter.com/HFNs1C3c2V
— It Stops Now (@ItStopsNow_EU) November 14, 2018
Twitter trend
Women's underwear takes over social media
The protest found its way on social media with hundreds of tweets being shared with #ThisIsNotConsent. User @picturepositive tweeted: I wear lingerie because it makes me feel good not as an invitation for sex, believe it, not everything is centered around the enjoyment of men. While @catalanaalcor wrote: Most of my underwear has lace on it. This doesn't mean I want to be raped.
Twitter Post
Another one lists out reasons for wearing thongs
Reasons why women wear lace thongs:
— Project Consent (@consentproject) November 14, 2018
- super cute
- no panty line
- Victoria’s Secret 7 for $27 deal
Something not at all related to the reason someone would wear a lace thong:
- consent to sex#ThisIsNotConsent
Twitter Post
No good words for the lawyer
Honestly Elizabeth O’Connell should be ashamed of herself for using a 17 year olds underwear as grounds for consent ?? Especially being a woman herself. Scary #ThisIsNotConsent
— Sarit (@SazCurran) November 14, 2018
Editor's note
It's almost 2019 and we are still struggling with consent
Men have been struggling to understand consent for far too long, and this case confirms it. But more than that, dissecting a woman's choice of underwear in a courtroom shows how deep rape culture is ingrained in the society's brains. Which is why we need more marches like the one Ireland witnessed. The message has to be stated again and again: No means no.