‘We believe her’
Thousands of women protest as rugby stars cleared of rape
A JURY’S decision to clear two rugby stars of rape led thousands of protesters to take to the streets yesterday
Paddy Jackson, 26, and Ireland teammate Stuart Olding, 25, were acquitted of raping a 19-year- old woman at Mr Jackson’s home following a night out in 2016.
During the nine-week trial, the jury heard the men made vile boasts in a WhatsApp chat group after the alleged rape. They discussed having a ‘spit roast’ and said sex with the woman was ‘like a merry-go-round’. However, a jury found them not guilty on all charges after deliberating for less than four hours.
The decision prompted thousands of protesters brandishing placards reading ‘I Believe Her’ to take to the streets to express their dismay and offer support to victims of sexual assault.
Crowds gathered outside Belfast’s Laganside courthouse, with other rallies held in Londonderry, Cork, Limerick, Galway and Dublin.
The slogan quickly went viral on social media, with thousands across the UK expressing their support for the woman.
The I Believe Her Facebook group posted the statement: ‘The feminist movement is calling a rally in response to the impact of the recent rape trial in Belfast. There is a lot of anger and upset among women who have observed the treatment of the [woman] in this case and found it harrowing and re-traumatising.’ Organisers said the Belfast event was ‘in response to the impact’ of the trial and how it has been handled by the criminal justice system.
There were calls for the overhaul of the system including a blanket ban on reporting of trials until the jury had come to a verdict.
Organisers added efforts should be made not to deter those who say they had been assaulted from making a complaint. In Kilkenny, one protester said: ‘This is about supporting the way rape victims are treated in the criminal justice system in Ireland. I can’t even begin to describe how angry I am, not just for her, but for any woman ... that this shows them what happens when they are brave enough to come forward.’ In Dublin, more than a thousand people brought traffic to a standstill as shouts of ‘I stand with her’ filled the air. Ruth Coppinger, a member of the Irish parliament, gave a speech calling for a larger march tomorrow. Mr Jackson and Mr Olding had gone home with a group of women after partying in the VIP section of Ollie’s nightclub in Belfast. Giving evidence, the alleged victim, now 21, claimed she was attacked in Mr Jackson’s home after going to fetch her bag from a bedroom.
She said she froze when he pulled down her trousers and raped her from behind, before Mr Olding walked in and allegedly made her perform a sex act on him at the same time.
Mr Jackson’s solicitor, Joe McVeigh, criticised the police investigation as ‘ biased’ and said the rugby star had ‘paid a heavy price’. He said police had ignored inconsistencies in the woman’s evidence. Taking to Twitter yesterday, the girlfriend of Olympic gold medallist Greg Rutherford accused rugby players of treating women ‘ like meat’. Susie Verrill, 29, who previously had relationships with two unnamed rugby players, said some men in sport ‘prey on women’.
She said she was ‘disappointed but in no way surprised’ by the trial’s outcome, which comes after a host of women speaking out about ‘ indecent, threatening behaviour’.
‘I’ve experienced first-hand, the pack mentality and gargantuan egos linked to rugby players and yet again, no consequences,’ she wrote.
‘It took very little time to realise what a whole host of them are about. And it ain’t good.
‘Give a few of them some alcohol and all that bravado leads to some pretty shoddy behaviour. Grabby hands, aggression erring on uncomfortable, a bring-your-mate-in policy.’
‘Threatening behaviour’