Ireland rape trial row: Women storm social media with #ThisIsNotConsent, post pictures of their underwear

A controversial rape trial in Ireland has seized the internet by storm and women across the world are taking to social media platform Twitter protesting over it, according to reports.

Recently in Ireland, a 27-year-old man was acquitted in a rape trial of a teenager by providing her thong as an evidence, as reported by CNN. 

On November 6, in a rape trial in Ireland's Cork city, a jury declared the defendant not guilty of raping a 17-year-old, according to CNN. The barrister defended the man saying the underwear worn by the teenager indicated consent. She pointe out that the teenager was wearing "a thong with a lace front" which indicated consent. 

The move by the barrister, who was also a woman, was taken as victim-blaming by women on social media. The women took to Twitter posting pictures of their underwears using the hashtag #ThisIsNotConsent, protesting against the argument of the barrister, reported CNN.

The women by posting pictures of their underwear protested that wearing a certain type of clothing didn't point at consent. 

The hashtag, #ThisIsNotConsent, was created by a Facebook group, Mna na hEireann (Women of Ireland), and it took Twitter too by storm with the account I Believe Her – Ireland, lending support.

According to an Irish newspaper, Independent, Susan Dillon a member of 'I Believe Her – Ireland' said what women wear does not constitute consent. “Irrespective of the other evidence… no item of the complainant’s clothing implied consent. If a jury is a representative sample of the population, then it’s clear we have some work to do to dispel this archaic myth that clothing invites rape,” Independent quoted her as saying. 

Another woman, Shubhangi Karmakar, made sketches of different kinds of underwears and claimed consent is not given while “wearing gross pants, nice pants or no pants”, according to Independent.