There is an ongoing battle about what is deemed ‘provoking’ and the perceived correlation between fashion and consent. Rapist cause rape. And nobody who is a victim of rape or sexual violence or any unwanted attention is ever to be blamed for the crime committed on them. In the #MeToo era, this week, another disgraceful incident happened in an Irish courthouse. The type of underwear worn by the victim who accused a man of rape was considered relevant. This has outraged social media users. Women are now sharing pictures of their underwear with hashtag #ThisIsNotConsent on Twitter. Growing Rape Cases in India: These Statistics Reveal 7 Ugly Truths about Sexual Violence in The Country. 

A 27-year-old man was found not guilty of raping a 17-year-old girl in the County Cork, Ireland on November 14. According to the Irish Examiner, the alleged perpetrator’s defence barrister Elizabeth O’Connell urged the jury members to reflect on the underwear the girl was wearing that night. She was quoted as saying, “Does the evidence out-rule the possibility that she was attracted to the defendant and was open to meeting someone and being with someone? You have to look at the way she was dressed. She was wearing a thong with a lace front.” Watching Porn Leads to Rape? Four Dehradun Class XII Boys Sexually Assault Junior After Watching Adult Clips on Mobile Phones. 

Using a thong as evidence of implied consent was straight victim-blaming. To protest the ruling, Irish women began sharing pictures of their own underwear with hashtag #ThisIsNotConsent.

#ThisIsNotConsent is trending on Twitter. 

The protests across Ireland are being organised by the socialist feminist organisation ROSA and supporters are asked to bring along their underwear. Brother Filmed Killing His Own Sister: Displaced Women in Syria Subjected to Honour Killings. 

The issue has gained global attention with people asking what type of underwear would imply a man was ‘open’ to meeting someone, while others wondered what women would have to wear to ensure her claims are taken seriously. We fail to comprehend how difficult it is to understand that any sexual violence has nothing to do with what a woman has had to drink or how she behaves or what she happens to be wearing and that includes what she is wearing beneath her clothes.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Nov 14, 2018 08:01 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).