Young must be told there are no grey areas over consent, says ex-Ireland star Quinlan
FORMER Irish rugby international Alan Quinlan has said young people need to be told there is no “grey area” when it comes to consent.
The broadcaster said the high profile Belfast rape trial had raised questions about what children are being taught on this sensitive subject.
Mr Quinlan (43) said: “I think there’s been no winners.
“If there’s any positive that’s going to come out of this at all, I think that there is no grey area in consent.”
He said that the message has to be passed onto young people “that there is no grey area about consent of any sort”.
The ex-Munster star spoke out after Paddy Jackson and Stuart Olding were found not guilty of raping a young student at a house party.
Mr Quinlan also said conversations around consent could also help sports clubs and other establishments.
“We’ve got to try and make sure there is a high level of decency with anyone we treat and meet in the public,” he told Newstalk ‘Breakfast’.
In the aftermath of the verdicts at Belfast Crown Court the Irish Rugby Football Union confirmed that Jackson and Olding would remain suspended from playing duties while an internal investigation is concluded.
Mr Quinlan said it is “fully understandable” that the IR FU would carry out their own review.
But he added if it is found the men brought the game into disrepute then they could face sanction from the governing body.
He said: “The IRFU have said they’re going to have an internal review, which is fully understandable, they’ve got to react to what’s happened.
“They’ve acknowledged the verdict is ‘not guilty’ but certainly the questions will be asked, were they in breach of contract? Did they bring the game into disrepute?
“There are clauses in any of the contracts that I would have had, I’m sure it’s the exact same for anybody signing a contract now. If you bring the game into disrepute, if you have any sort of breaches in your contract, you know you can be punished for that.”