UCD Students’ Union Has Released A Statement Against Revenge Porn

A shocking report by the College Tribune this week revealed that a Facebook group, made up of 200 males UCD students, has been involved in revenge porn.

One first year student told the publication that the group is operating "with around 200 Ag Science students involved, all from different years, where they shared stories about girls they had sex with, where they'd shared the girls' nudes, and then posted the girls' Facebook pages where they'd all rate them out of 10".

The revelation has shocked UCD's student body and provoked this statement from Marcus O'Halloran (Student Union President) and Hazel Beattie (Student Union Vice President) on UCD Students' Union Facebook page,

REVENGE PORN IS A HEINOUS ACTIVITY, REPORT IT TO THE POLICE

We completely condemn this behaviour and anyone who engages in it; it is sexual violence.

We requested the College Tribune inform an Garda Síochána immediately upon media queries to us which suggested they might have evidence of a revenge porn ring.

We continue to request that they forward on all evidence to the police and would encourage anyone who has evidence of revenge porn to do the same.

While legislation has yet to be put forward which specifically addresses revenge porn in Ireland, the police are still the most relevant authority to act on evidence of this activity.

University management have assured us of their full support for our campus wide consent campaign and, following fundraising efforts for the DRCC this week, we will be inviting students to participate in consent workshops as part of our year long campaign.

In the absence of a legal statutory definition for sexual consent, we will continue to clearly clarify it as something which can only be communicated, never assumed.

Following these reports, we are more determined than ever to address the twin issues of sexual consent and violence.