Trigger warning: This piece contains mentions of sexual assault.
A LITTLE over a year after the sexual harassment allegations against Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein came to light and the rise of the #MeToo movement, Europe is experiencing a similar revolution of its own. Women have begun to speak out and denounce the culture of rape that has haunted European society for centuries.
In the past few months, you may have seen pictures of lace thongs and different kinds of underwear on social media, on television, and even out on the streets.
No, it’s not for Black Friday, or to promote Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show and its new line of lingerie. The reality is much more worrying. It’s about what transpired in Ireland on November 6, 2018, when a 27-year-old man accused of rape was acquitted during his trial.
The reason? According to the lawyer of the accused, the victim—who was a 17-year-old girl—was responsible for what happened to her, because of the kind of underwear she was wearing.
“Does the evidence outrule 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,” cited defense barrister Elizabeth O’Connell during the trial.
The statement ignited the fury of many, prompting protesters to take to the streets. The hashtag #ThisIsNotConsent also circulated on social networks, which at least reassures us that many people are taking a stand, that people are becoming aware of rape culture and the vast difference between what is consent and what is not.
Ladies, consent is not based on our clothing. Whether we’re wearing a turtleneck and cotton panties, a crop-top and a lace thong, or even if we’re naked, it doesn’t take away our right to say “yes” or “no” to a sexual act. Having sex after saying “no” is rape. Wearing lingerie is never an invitation for sex. Even if we are considered “sexy,” even if we want to be sexy, that does not mean we give up control of ourselves and lose the right to be respected.
We are always responsible for our bodies. Our bodies belong only to us, just as much as our desires belong to us. We are free to choose the way we dress, where we want to go, and when we want to go out. We will never be responsible for any aggression. The person responsible is the aggressor. There is no one else responsible for a rape, other than the rapist.
It’s a simple truth that deserves repeating: There is no excuse to justify a crime, and no excuse to justify a rape.Victoria Maquet Foucher is an Information and Communications student at the Université Catholique de l’Ouest. She was an exchange student at the Ateneo for the first semester of AY 2018-2019 when the piece was written. She may be reached at vic.mf1998@gmail.com.
