Irish Politicians Disavow 'Demeaning' Rape Crisis Centre Ad Telling Grandparents to Ask Before Hugging Grandchildren
Ireland's justice minister, whose department funded the campaign, said the video does not represent the government's views. The centre pulled it while it reflects on the campaign.
A public service ad from the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre telling grandparents to ask for consent before hugging their grandchildren has been pulled after criticism from politicians across Ireland's parties.
The ad. It aired in September as part of the centre's We-Consent campaign. It shows grandparents greeting two grandchildren, one who welcomes a hug and one who does not. A narrator says, "Not everyone wants a hug, even from the people who love them. Awkward? Maybe. Important? Absolutely."
The government's response. Justice Minister Jim O'Callaghan of Fianna Fáil, whose department funded the campaign, said the video was removed after his officials spoke with the centre. He said it "does not represent the views of the Government" and was "both inappropriate and demeaning to grandparents." He added that while people must understand consent in sexual relationships, the video "did not advance that aim and in many ways was counterproductive," as reported by the BBC and cited by Fox.
The criticism. Sen. Gareth Scahill of Fine Gael called it a waste of public money, "at best ill-thought out, and at worst offensive and potentially damaging to our older population." He asked, "What's next? Will we need to sign consent forms at arrival halls in Dublin, Shannon, Knock and Cork airports this Christmas before we can greet family members?"
The centre's side. It told Irish broadcaster RTE that We-Consent is a long-term prevention campaign built on the idea that boundaries should be respected from an early age. It said it will take the three videos off its social channels "while we reflect on whether they are having the positive effect we want them to have."
A conservative reading. Inez Stepman of Independent Women told Fox the institutions "lecture grandparents about hugging their grandkids" instead of facing what is behind a rise in rape reports. She tied that to who the government lets into the country. The Irish Independent reported in 2024 that sexual assault reports nearly doubled between 2012 and 2022.
Note for readers: Stepman's view about the cause of the increase is her opinion and was not backed by figures in the text we reviewed. We have not seen the ad itself.