IN THIS ISSUE
The issues of sexual assault and inappropriate behaviour have really come to the forefront in recent years, with the likes of the #MeToo movement and the Whatsapp messages in the Belfast rape trial challenging people to really think about the effects on women of what is often considered acceptable conduct. It’s a truly wonderful thing that not only are people realising that attitudes and actions have to change, but also that women are feeling empowered enough to speak up and say that something is not ok. But men must not be forgotten in this movement. Many of them are victims too. When people think about men as victims of sexual assault, they almost always think of the perpetrators as male too – in fact, women are not even legally recognised as capable of rape in Ireland, except as accomplices to men. But on
page 26, you’ll read about several cases of men who have been raped by women, stories which have been released as part of a ground-breaking study carried out in England – one of the first of its kind in the world. Even the title of the paper is the quite awkward – Forced-toPenetrate Cases – as most countries don’t have a legal definition for it, which seems utterly astonishing in this day and age. We have to recognise that victims are victims, no matter their gender, background or socioeconomic status. Each deserves to be listened to without judgment and to be offered help to recover, should it be needed. The Dublin Rape Crisis Centre is an invaluable nationwide resource for anyone affected by these issues and can be found at drcc.ie. On page 20, we meet our cover stars, the O’Neill sisters. They’ll be performing for thousands of people tomorrow at the Papal Mass in the Phoenix Park. They are a beautiful, talented trio and have a wealth of stories already from their attempts to break into the global music industry. Hopefully this performance will be the one that propels them on to the world stage – with the Pope’s blessing, of course. Enjoy the issue!
WOMEN ARE NOT LEGALLY RECOGNISED AS CAPABLE OF RAPE IN IRELAND”