A culture of contempt and entitlement revealed by Belfast rape trial
The verdict has been a beginning, not an end. A beginning for rallies in support of the complainant all over Ireland, for instance. A starting-point for conversations? That’s less clear.
On social media, which revealed its resemblance to a digital cesspit in the aftermath of the verdict, there were calls for lessons in consent, statements issued, gloating, retractions, deletions . . . if there were tone-deaf or plain wrong reactions available, then there were plenty of people to produce them, and nothing would, or did, stop them.
