The Manager of Wexford Rape Crisis Centre says she is disappointed after yesterday’s announcement that the EU directive on violence against women will not include rape
The decision was made after a number of countries including Ireland, could not agree on a legal definition. Under the proposed text, backed by the European Parliament and Commission, rape is based on a person not giving consent. Over the past few months negotiations have been under way to convince member states to support the inclusion of rape in the EU’s first directive on combatting violence against women. In the end 15 countries, along with the European Parliament and Commission, backed the measure but Ireland was not one of them.
Irish law around rape is already based on a person not giving consent. However, it was hoped that the directive could harmonise rules across the EU, as some countries include the use of force in their definition.
The omission of rape from the directive has been criticised by support groups including Wexford Rape Crisis Centre. Their Manager Clare Williams spoke to south east radio news this morning and said a decision needs to be made by the end of January. She added ” we support women in Wexford every day who have been raped and in a lot of those situations the preparators are by family members or acquittances’. Whilst it’s rare, that the perception of rape happening in an alley by a stranger does happen, but in the main it’s by someone they know. So the definition of rape is extremely important.”
