November 27th 2024.
In November, Conor McGregor and his partner Dee Devlin were seen arriving at the High Court in Dublin. The reason for their appearance was a heavy one - Devlin had recently made a statement that sent chills down the spines of many. She expressed her belief that "women like you exist in the world" and that her sons should be warned about them. This statement was directed towards Nikita Hand, who had accused McGregor of raping her in a Dublin hotel in 2018. The court had ordered McGregor to pay €248,000 in damages to Hand after he was found guilty by a jury.
Devlin took to Instagram to express her support for her partner and question Hand's character. She asked, "what sort of woman are you?" and claimed to have proof that Hand was the one who initiated the sexual encounter. However, her statement about warning her sons about "women like you" does not help McGregor's case. It only perpetuates the harmful and dangerous myth that men are vulnerable to deceitful women who are lurking around every corner.
The statistics on rape in the UK are alarming. According to Rape Crisis, 6.5 million women in England and Wales have been raped or sexually assaulted, yet only 1 in 6 women report it. The number of sexual offenses in England and Wales has reached a record high of 193,566 in the year ending March 2022. Research shows that rape offenses have the highest not guilty plea rate of any crime, and this has been consistent for 15 years. Shockingly, almost half of all rape perpetrators are the victim's partner or ex-partner, and in 85% of cases, the victim knows the perpetrator. Additionally, more than 1 in 5 victims were unconscious or asleep when they were raped.
Dee Devlin's statement about warning her sons does not help her husband's case. In fact, it only adds to the harmful narrative that women are responsible for men's actions. The reality is that false allegations of rape are extremely rare compared to actual allegations. According to the CPS, only 3% of rape allegations made in 2008-2009 were false. Furthermore, the term "false allegations" can be misleading as it can include cases where the victim was intoxicated or witnesses withdrew their statements. The idea that women would put themselves through the trauma of publicly accusing a famous man of a sexual crime is questionable and laughable.
Nikita Hand, also known as Nikita Ni Laimhin, spoke to the media outside the High Court in Dublin, hugging a supporter. The reality is that false claims of rape and sexual assault are vanishingly rare compared to actual allegations, and they have tangible repercussions for survivors who are courageous enough to pursue a conviction. According to ONS data, only 2% of rape cases in England and Wales are successfully prosecuted, and it takes an average of 817 days for a case to get to court.
Rape Crisis, a feminist charity, is working towards ending all forms of sexual violence, including rape, sexual assault, sexual harassment, and child sexual abuse. They believe and support survivors, whether the violence happened recently or a long time ago. Women are entitled to have a social life and drink alcohol, and it is not their fault if they are sexually or physically assaulted. The idea that a woman's lifestyle choices make her responsible for sexual violence is completely outdated. As a mother of boys, I do not warn them about "women like" Hand. Instead, I teach them about consent, respect for women, and not hurting anyone.
On November 25, 2024, Metro launched a year-long campaign called "This Is Not Right" to address the epidemic of violence against women. The campaign aims to educate, engage, and empower readers on this issue and share stories that shed light on its scale. Women's Aid is partnering with Metro for this campaign, and they urge anyone who has been a victim of violence to come forward and share their story.
As a mother, I have open and direct conversations with my eight-year-old son about consent and respect for women. With my younger son, I model these behaviors and use proper terms for genitalia. It may sound too-woke-to-be-true, but it is essential to teach boys and men that sexual assault is harmful, degrading, and illegal. If we want to warn them about anything, it should be that women are no longer willing to stay silent about rape and sexual assault. We will not be shamed, attacked, or silenced by anyone.
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