Thoughts on #suemepaddy ?

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Another very disturbing development post trial ...

"Ulster and Ireland rugby player Paddy Jackson has said he intends to sue Labour Senator Aodhán Ó Riordáin for defamation after the politician sent a tweet in the wake of the Belfast rape trial verdicts."

www.irishtimes.com/news/crime-and-law/paddy-jackson-s-lawyers-say-he-intends-to-sue-aodh%C3%A1n-%C3%B3-riord%C3%A1in-over-tweet-1.3445578

You'll easily find a copy of the original tweet that caused offense.... can't believe he'd do that. I'm thinking I should sign up for twitter and post with#suemepaddy

It'd be Paddy Jackson himself who's instructing though, even if his relatives are effing him on.

Yes, the instruction is from him. His family might be egging him on/ paying for it but he is the client.

There's a #IBelieveHer march in London on April 14th.
It's on the I Believe Her facebook page.

Yes, I'm aware of that. But whoever is paying the bills can have huge influence and will often consider themselves "the client" even when that's not the case.

It seems the women of Ireland really hate him. I'd be surprised if he ever finds a girlfriend after this. Although this would be a positive outcome for me.
Any woman who even considers dating him or his friends will probably be ostracised by her own friends

Clare’s law, or something very similar, (I’m not 100% sure) came into force this week in NI. Would PJs charges show up on it? Or is his record wiped completely becaus ehe was acquitted?

PJ record is clean as no conviction so Clair's law useless but everyone knows who he is. Don't know what hole his hiding under but someone on twitter said he was on a Belfast street and a homeless woman shouted out I believe her, he didn't know know where to look. Have no way of verying if this was true.

It’ll hardly matter. UR will let him go and he’ll move away to somewhere else where the women don’t recognise him. He’ll find a new band of top shaggers and resume business as usual.

I'm not sure Ulster rugby will let him go. Rugby and sports in general dominated by men. The supporters are mainly men and they won't protest about someone like him as much as women. They are just waiting for the right time.
With the internet I hope any woman will at least google him at one point. Unless he changes his name.

I'd be surprised if he ever finds a girlfriend after this. Although this would be a positive outcome for me.

The woman at the centre of this case has done other women a massive service by showing up this misogynistic arse up for what he is. I would imagine women’s willingness to attend parties at his house has tailed off significantly, whatever the courts ruled.

I don’t know. There’s been a pretty big backlash over his behaviour. Maybe I’m just too naive. I hope not. I hope UR do the right thing.

I'd love to believe that women will be wary of him but I've seen a shocking number of women on social media saying that 'the lads' were stitched up and what lovely blokes they are. I'm truly staggered that anyone, male or female, could read those WhatsApp messages and find them anything other than reprehensible, but apparently they can.

It’s so depressing isn’t it. All those undisputed facts infront of them and so many women are furiously insistent that it was just lads banter, women are worse and his morals aren’t on trial. wake the fuck up! When someone tells you who they are.....

Some of these women are even saying she falsely accused other men of rape in the past. If that's true how come I haven't read it before in the papers during the trial. Something like that would be gold dust to the defence. I really hope if nothing else changes from this case it will be that rape trials are held in camera like in the Republic of Ireland. This is vital in the social media age to prevent the complainant being named. Reports say people in the public gallery were laughing and jeering as the woman gave evidence.

Can anyone clarify for me if the woman was visible to the court and public gallery? What I read said that she gave her evidence from behind a blue curtain but was shown on video screens. Who was she shown to? The whole public gallery?

I think it was visible to the judge, jury, defendants. But her name was mentioned.

She was visible on a screen to everyone in the courtroom, including the public gallery. And referred to by name throughout. The curtain was so that she didn't have to look at them

So everyone who attended court knows who she is. Along with most of NI I suspect

Ffs! So what the hell is the point in granting sexual assault victims anonymity when they lose it as soon as they step into a courtroom to try and get justice?? who the fuck decided that was logical? Did they not think this through? Why can’t she just give her evidence from behind a screen and let that be it? Why do the public need to see her? Why do they even need to be in the courtroom?

Last time anonymity laws updated was 1992! Before internet and social media. I guess that's why. Someone should start a petition to parliament for this.

Some of you might quite enjoy this. It's very Dublin

Oh yes that was good! Thanks Maryz

1992! 26 years ago! Not good enough. Definitely time for a change. It is not acceptable that a victim of a sexual assault must waive their right to anonymity in order to seek justice! “You can have your anonymity, of course you can, don’t worry about that. No-one will know your name or what you look like. Unless you report it. Would you like to report it?”

I don't know what the hell that juror said but ever since it became public a petition to parliament to educate jurors about rape myths has got 2000 signatures in 2 days. Most of the increase is from northern island.

Sorry meant Ireland my autocorrect has a life of its own

So this morning there are people in the US (going to be a rally in NYC) and Australia tweeting #suemepaddy

And a player form another team has been suspended for a vile tweet

www.irishexaminer.com/breakingnews/sport/gaa/gary-walsh-dropped-by-laois-after-rugby-rape-trial-tweet-835044.html