Ulster Rugby trial -continued

[ZibbidooZibbidooZibbidoo]

New thread.

treaclesoda That is absolutely not true. But while debating whether or not this case was about angry white working class Protestant men losing their power was vaguely on topic, that sort of conversation is certainly for another thread.

Especially to Bumfuddle, but to all I apologise for pursuing that trail, but just felt like the original comment and every reply couldn’t be left uncontested as I did not wish my silence to be confused with agreement of views that I find so repugnant.

So... how to we get back on track. What do we do next? How do we keep people talking about this and keep people thinking about stamping out misogyny in N. Ireland and beyond?

Bumble please don’t pay any mind to the ridiculous direction this thread is going in. I believe your DD, there’s nothing she did to deserve what happened to her. A PP posted some info about a confidential support line and if your DD feels able this may be a way for her to get some help. I wish things were different, I wish it had never happened to her (and Zibbidoo ) and I wish it was easy for her to report it. As someone said much earlier in the thread, trials and decisions such as this case just show women how futile it is to report a rape. This is something which needs to be looked at from the top to the bottom of the current broken system, where everything is stacked against the survivor.

I just want your DD, and anyone else who has survived a rape or sexual assault, to know that I believe her and thousands of other woman stand with me saying the same again, I hope she (and you) can find some peace.

That is a good Guardian article, thanks Chaos.

Bumble that's not at all what I meant, not at all. I'm so sorry that I've worded it wrongly and it has come across all wrong.

I know what I'm trying to say and it's coming out all wrong. My comment was entirely related to the abuse on Facebook, not about the background of victims. Not even slightly about the background of victims.

Oh BumbleFuddle.
I really didn't see this on any post.
Whose post are you alluding to ?
What poster ?
I've only seen messages by posters who have been supportive of you- as they rightly should be.
I really hope you get justice.
This case has shown that attitudes are changing. The awful misogyny will not be tolerated.
Contact UR again. Hopefully now the scales have been forcibly removed will have come off their eyes, they will view your allegations differently.

Please don't leave Bumble...I do think this thread can be supportive and I am so sorry it got derailed. No one here would ever say or think that your daughter (or anyone else) deserves it. Class, religion, race do not matter...it is misogyny clear and simple.

Treaclesoda it's not worth it, I have asked for my posts to be deleted, my comments were regarding the current backlash against the Ulster rugby decision not about anyone in the original case, I thought the discussion had moved onto misogyny in NI but this was considered a derailment - fair enough.

Do you think there is any chance feminists can start a campaign to stop French and clubs signing them.
Really don't want these two playing rugby and being seen as role models

I'll ask for my previous post to be deleted too.

But I honestly don't understand how it has been misunderstood to the point of saying that I think someone deserved to be assaulted. I have a long history of posting on feminist threads on mumsnet, and of volunteering in real life with a particular women's charity. I have never, and will never blame any victim of sexual assault for what happened to them.

I personally have received some very vitriolic abuse on social media over the course of this whole sorry saga and the point I was trying to make is that it has come from a particular group within N Ireland society.

Oh my goodness yoy just can’t let it go can you treacle. Can you not see how your posts continue to be very offensive?

The way I see it is that these guys have been ousted from their own society NI and Ulster rugby. That is as it should be because they are legally not guilty but found abhorrent by their own society. That’s how human community works thank God. This is thanks to the people who worked to have them punished by society as the law could not. Now they need to be left alone to go elsewhere. So no more petitions. It’s over now as far as I’m concerned.

@Bumblefuddle I can't imagine what you or your daughter are going through.

I really don't think any posters are saying they think your daughter deserved to be raped. Not at all

I imagine you are tired, angry, disillusioned and need some support. Try and look after yourself

I can see now where the misunderstanding has come from.

Please let me try to explain as I'm gutted that I have come across wrong.

My point wasn't meant to be that it's 'working class Protestant scum' who support the rugby. What I was trying to say (and obviously said it very very badly) was that this is the group within N Ireland society who seem to be the most angry with women and this whole case has seen them vent their anger at women for daring to stand up and say 'this isn't good enough'. I don't really think it has much to do with rugby at all, it's society.

Treaclesoda I understand your point and that you are not in any way trying to rattle any one.

Totallymyownperson I do worry at that point the accusations of witch hunt might be justified.
What can we do here in Northern Ireland to keep the momentum up? To keep people thinking, even if they are unable to speak out?

Not Taken no, actually, I can't see how my posts are so offensive. How is it offensive to say that I have never blamed a victim for their own assault? That I think there is a problem with misogyny in N Ireland society?

NotTaken - a whitch hunt is what happens to women who say they have been raped.
Nothing that happens to these men can ever be seen as Whitchurch hunt

Treacle:

My point wasn't meant to be that it's 'working class Protestant scum' who support the rugby. What I was trying to say (and obviously said it very very badly) was that this is the group within N Ireland society who seem to be the most angry with women and this whole case has seen them vent their anger at women for daring to stand up and say 'this isn't good enough'. I don't really think it has much to do with rugby at all, it's society.

If you can’t see how offensive that I’m struggling to work out how to communicate it. You are basing this on band uniforms and football tops. It’s not good enough. You seem really educated and have contributed so eloquently at times over these two threads and I’m bloody let down that you are peddling such a rhetoric.