Women need to be supported from a young age to express their right to bodily autonomy

The Government’s intervention in an advert by the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre that depicts a teenage girl declining physical contact with her grandparents places the Government at risk of not representing the views of the people who voted them into office.

How can our Government stand over a statement that implies that a grandparent’s feelings supersede those of a child? Our country has a shameful history of child abuse and abuse of women perpetrated by family members and people in positions of power.

We also have ongoing issues of sexual assault against women. Women need to be supported from a young age to express their right to bodily autonomy in all areas and understand that they, and only they, get to decide who touches them in any manner.

A disappointing statement by the Minister for Justice, Jim O’Callaghan, who needs to be educated on the reality of life for women and girls in Ireland. I hope he will reflect on this, retract his statement and support the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre in their work. – Yours etc,

LORRAINE EGAN,

Youghal,

Co Cork

Sir, – The demeaning depiction of grandparents in the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre advertisement about hugging individuals without their consent would appear to be yet another cack-handed attempt to deal with this contentious subject.

[ Advert showing grandparents hugging grandchildren is taken down amid criticismOpens in new window ]

Consent encompasses a myriad of situations and such advertisements are at best clumsy, at worst patronising. Irritating the grandparents of Ireland is an unfortunate consequence particularly for those who provide invaluable care to those same grandchildren. – Yours, etc,

AILEEN HOOPER,

Stoneybatter,

Dublin 7.

Sir, – Surely those, including the Minister for Justice, complaining about the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre’s consent video featuring grandparents, are missing the point. The point, clearly, is about listening. And specifically listening to children.

If a child expresses discomfort about specific physical contact, whether it be from a grandparent or anybody else, their discomfort needs to be listened to and respected.

Have we learned nothing from where not listening to children led us in this country’s bitter experience of the abuse of generations of children? – Yours, etc,

DAVID MEREDITH,

Inchicore,

Dublin 8.