The Irish minister for justice has criticised an commercial produced by the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre (DRCC) selling consent, calling it “inappropriate and demeaning to grandparents”.
The advert depicts two grandparents enthusiastically hugging a younger boy, but when they method their granddaughter she seems sad about the exchange.
It consists of the message “not everyone wants a hug. Even from the people who love them”.
The advert, which has since been eliminated, has attracted criticism and and also acquired worldwide protection in publications such as the New York Post.
Fianna Fáil politician Jim O’Callaghan, whose division funds the marketing campaign, said the the video has since been eliminated following engagement with the DRCC.
He said the video “does not represent the views of the Government”.
“It was both inappropriate and demeaning to grandparents and has been removed by DRCC following my officials engagement with them.
“While it is very important to guarantee that people perceive the idea of consent when it comes to sexual relationships, this video did not advance that intention and in many methods was counterproductive.”
The video was part of a campaign titled ‘We-Consent’, which is led by the DRCC.
In a statement to Irish broadcaster RTÉ, the DRCC said: “We-Consent is a long-term marketing campaign as half of Dublin Rape Crisis Centre’s prevention work to increase the awareness and observe of consent in Ireland.
“We created three videos premised on the idea that boundaries should be respected from an early age and to respect others’ boundaries too.
“We are going to take away the videos from our social media channels while we replicate on whether they are having the constructive impact we need them to have.”
As well as the Department of Justice, the ‘We-Consent’ campaign is also supported by the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, and CUAN (the Domestic, Sexual and Gender-Based Violence Agency).
All three have been approached for remark.
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