Rape victim’s plea for street protest on International Women’s Day
Call to overhaul ‘unfair’ judicial system
A WOMAN who was raped when she was 13 is leading the call for people to take to the streets to mark International Women’s Day.
Leona O’callaghan, who has been critical of the way the judicial system deals with victims of sexual assaults, backed the worldwide demonstration.
Events will be held across the globe to mark International Women’s Day on March 8.
Demonstrators will raise issues surrounding gender pay gap, gender-based violence, working conditions, abortion rights and sexual violence.
Ms O’callaghan’s attacker was sentenced to 18-and-a-half years after he pleaded guilty to charges of sexual assault and rape.
She said “bias, blame and unfairness” was at the heart of her experience of the legal system.
Ms O’callaghan added: “Only a few months ago I stood in an Irish court where my abuser’s defence were permitted to indicate that I, as a child, had given a sign of consent because I did not physically fight back on those rapes.
“The judge was asked to take this as a mitigating factor. A child cannot consent.
LEGISLATION
“We do not have sufficient legislation to adequately deal with the issues of consent.
“We remain participants in a victim-blaming Ireland where the perpetrator has the right to legal representation but victims and survivors do not.
“We remain in a country where there is inadequate education in our church-led schools that fail us by not providing the knowledge and the guidance needed to highlight what consent is and to teach men not to rape.
“The lack of moral compass in the legal, school, Government and judicial systems does not represent the morality of our country.”
Solidarity TD Ruth Coppinger called on unions, community groups, young people and women to join the 3pm walkouts and protests in Dublin.
She said: “A global revolt of women has emerged, demanding freedom from violence, exploitation and abortion rights.
“On all these issues, it is movements on the ground that have forced change.”