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An ad released by the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre (DRCC) in Ireland that urged grandparents to ask for consent before hugging their grandchildren sparked international controversy after it began airing last month and has since been removed.
In September, an ad from the DRCC’s “We-Consent” campaign went viral for showing grandparents greeting their grandchildren. One grandchild appears receptive to a hug, while the other does not. A narrator says, “Not everyone wants a hug, even from the people who love them. Awkward? Maybe. Important? Absolutely.”
The ad has since been removed and criticized by politicians from multiple parties in Ireland.
The BBC reported that Irish Justice Minister Jim O’Callaghan of the Fianna Fáil party, whose department funded the campaign, announced the video has been removed after discussion with the DRCC, and declared, it “does not represent the views of the Government.”
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The ad showed grandparents greeting their grandchildren, one of whom appeared happy to receive affection. (Screenshot/Dublin Rape Crisis Centre (DRCC) ad)
“It was both inappropriate and demeaning to grandparents and has been removed by DRCC following my officials engagement with them,” O’Callaghan said. “While it is vital to ensure that people understand the concept of consent when it comes to sexual relationships, this video did not advance that aim and in many ways was counterproductive.”
Irish Sen. Gareth Scahill of the Fine Gael party blasted the video as a waste of public funds.
“What’s concerning here is public money has been used to fund an ad which at best has been ill-thought out, and at worst is offensive and potentially damaging to our older population,” Scahill said. “The issue of consent is a very serious one, and I acknowledge the important work the Rape Crisis Centre and other agencies do every day to advocate for all victims of rape and sexual violence, including children.”
“But this publicly funded social media video is a million miles off the mark,” he added.
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The other grandchild who appeared in the commercial did not appear to want a hug from her grandparents. (Screenshot/Dublin Rape Crisis Centre (DRCC) ad)
Scahill also 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 DRCC told Irish broadcaster RTE in a statement, “We-Consent is a long-term campaign as part of Dublin Rape Crisis Centre’s prevention work to increase the awareness and practice 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,” the organization added. “We are going to remove the videos from our social media channels while we reflect on whether they are having the positive effect we want them to have.”
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The ad has been widely panned online and disavowed by Irish politicians from multiple parties. (Screenshot/Dublin Rape Crisis Centre (DRCC) ad)
Inez Stepman, senior policy and legal analyst at Independent Women, spoke with Fox News Digital about the controversy.
“Instead of honestly acknowledging what is behind the doubling of rape rates from a decade ago, which is who the government chooses to let into the country, these institutions lecture grandparents about hugging their grandkids, as though that has any remotest connection to the problem at hand,” she said.
In 2024, the Irish Independent reported that reports of sexual assault had nearly doubled in Ireland between 2012 and 2022.
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“This politically correct lack of courage and honesty is embarrassing and rightly caused a backlash,” Stepman added.