Post by ck4829 on Dec 21, 2016 12:45:04 GMT
Victims are being "blamed" for rape and sexual assaults from the age of 12, while there is still no definition of consent in law, the Rape Crisis Network Ireland (RCNI) has warned.
"Everything around sexual violence hinges on consent. It makes no sense not to have a definition of it in our law when it is so pivotal. I would say it's so critical that we must define it in law," RCNI executive director Clíona Saidléar said.
Speaking at the launch of the RCNI's annual report for 2015, Ms Saidléar said: "That culture of 'just get on with it', 'just be quiet' and 'don't name it' has really been challenged."
The RCNI laid out its concerns about teenagers and consent.
"Under the law, they have no capacity to consent. Often in society, we are asking 'how did they behave?' or 'what did they do?'
"All those victim-blaming questions - we tend to start asking those of teenagers at a very young age. So from the age of 12, 13 and 14 up, we start to ask girls what they did to 'ask for it'?" said Ms Saidléar.
www.independent.ie/irish-news/we-still-blame-victims-of-rape-including-children-warns-support-group-35307572.html
"Everything around sexual violence hinges on consent. It makes no sense not to have a definition of it in our law when it is so pivotal. I would say it's so critical that we must define it in law," RCNI executive director Clíona Saidléar said.
Speaking at the launch of the RCNI's annual report for 2015, Ms Saidléar said: "That culture of 'just get on with it', 'just be quiet' and 'don't name it' has really been challenged."
The RCNI laid out its concerns about teenagers and consent.
"Under the law, they have no capacity to consent. Often in society, we are asking 'how did they behave?' or 'what did they do?'
"All those victim-blaming questions - we tend to start asking those of teenagers at a very young age. So from the age of 12, 13 and 14 up, we start to ask girls what they did to 'ask for it'?" said Ms Saidléar.
www.independent.ie/irish-news/we-still-blame-victims-of-rape-including-children-warns-support-group-35307572.html