Before Brunch: A Conversation About Consent Following The Belfast Trial

On Wednesday, rugby players Paddy Jackson and Stuart Olding were found not guilty of rape at Laganside Courts in Belfast.

Blane McIlroy was found not guilty of exposure, Rory Harrison was found not guilty of perverting the course of justice and not guilty of withholding information in the same trial in Belfast.

The trial ended as it had began - in a furore of publicity and media attention. The aftermath has raised questions about online commentary in cases, but most importantly, it has raised questions about consent and how we treat those who report rape in the Courts of Justice.

On this week's podcast, without going into the specifics of this case, we wanted to discuss the issue of consent, and the intricacies of deciding whether it was given or not.

We don't have the answers. It's an incredibly loaded and complex issue, particularly in a country that has a strained relationship with women and sex. We unpack the issues we're personally struggling with in the hopes of better understanding.

Listen here on iPhone, here on Android.

Before Brunch Podcast is the perfect Sunday morning hangover cure. Megan and Cassie chew over all the biggest stories of the week, from the frivolous to the meaningful and everything in between. It's the same dirt you talk about at Brunch, we're just digging a little deeper.

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Get in touch on twitter @meganmcassidy @cassielorraine @lovindublin @lovindotie

Lead image via Instagram/lolsybyrne