The Justice Minister said today that harmful assumptions about
rape and sexual assault have no place in society.
Announcing the launch of a social media-based campaign to
challenge common misconceptions about rape, said: “Unfortunately,
myths about rape are still widespread.
“They create shame, self-blame and, in many cases,
prevent people from reporting these crimes, allowing perpetrators
to escape justice.”
The 2019 Gillen Review into the law and procedures in serious
sexual offences in Northern Ireland dedicated an entire chapter
to the impact rape myths can have both on society and on jury
verdicts in serious sexual offence trials.
The first phase of the campaign, entitled Rape Myths = Real
Harm, will see 12 graphics published through the
Department of Justice's social media channels that challenge
commonly held myths about sexual offending. These graphics will
then be shared by the Department's partner agencies through their
social media channels.
Minister Long continued: “Sir John Gillen's message was
clear: rape myths shift blame from the perpetrator to the
victim.
“My Department, alongside our partners, have developed a
series of graphics to challenge these misconceptions.
“There is no typical victim. There is no typical response
to trauma. Responsibility for rape or sexual assault lies solely
with the perpetrator — never the victim.
“We all have a role in challenging these myths. Rape
myths cause real harm. It's up to all of us to shatter
them.”
Sir John Gillen said: “Rape myths represent some of the greatest
impediments to justice for all victims and survivors of domestic
and sexual abuse, but especially for women and girls.
“They potentially poison the criminal justice investigation
process and invest jury deliberations with false premises, rather
than evidence, in serious sexual trials.
“They contribute enormously to the silent tolerance of domestic
and sexual abuse that underpins a culture which fosters
victim-blaming and minimises, or even excuses, sexual violence,
particularly among men, to the extent that these harmful
attitudes promote wilful ignorance and become falsely
normalised.”
Sir John continued: “These rape myths are outrageously outdated
tropes that deny years of intensive expert research on how
victims should or should not respond to traumatic and violent
sexual attacks.
“I know from my experience in interviewing many victims and
survivors in the course of my Review in 2019 that the presence of
rape myths is one of the reasons that victims feel so helpless,
ashamed and consumed with self-blame.
“They feed their reluctance to report to police, or engage with
the criminal justice system, allowing perpetrators to escape
justice and repeat their crimes.
“With tiresome frequency, we as a community hide behind these
myths and invoke them to look away and find some other reason not
to speak out when confronted in plain sight by all the realities
and trappings of domestic abuse and violence against women and
girls.
“I strongly welcome this inspired DoJ campaign to challenge these
myths. As Seamus Heaney said: ‘It is time to set the darkness
echoing.'”
Joanne Barnes, CEO of Nexus NI, said: “Nexus NI welcomes this
important step from the Department of Justice in taking forward
the recommendations of the Gillen Review.
“Challenging the harmful myths that surround sexual violence is
essential if we are to build a society where survivors are
heard and supported, free from shame and stigma.
“This new social media campaign shines a light on the facts,
counters long‑standing misconceptions and helps create space for
informed, compassionate conversations.
“We fully support this initiative and the leadership shown in
prioritising truth, education and the wellbeing of all those
affected by sexual offences."
Notes for editors
- More information about the Gillen Review and implementation
progress can be found at: Gillen Review Report into the
law and procedures in serious sexual offences in NI |
Department of Justice
- Last year, 4,360 sexual crimes were reported to the Police
Service of Northern Ireland: 1,690 from women, 2,238 from
children and 326 from men.
- Over the same period, 1,081 arrests were made, resulting in
297 charges – a 3% increase in arrests compared to 2024.
