Harmon calls on UCD to attend Oireachtas Further and Higher Education Committee
Harmon calls on UCD to attend Oireachtas Further and Higher Education Committee - The Labour Party
- More must be done to ensure consent education across campuses
Labour’s spokesperson on further and higher education Senator Laura Harmon has written to the Oireachtas Committee on Further and Higher Education requesting that UCD attend to outline the steps taken following the sharing of sexually explicit images of a student.
Senator Harmon said:
“The bravery of the student at the centre of this story must be commended but her testimony makes for harrowing reading. Hearing her experience of assault and the sharing of sexually abusive imagery on Prime Time last night should make us all realise that more must be done to protect students.
“It is deeply concerning to me that UCD was unable to stop the sharing of a sexually explicit image of the student. Should they be in a position to attend Committee, UCD could outline to the public what processes are in place to deal with incidents like this, sexual violence, consent, and to outline its dignity and respect policies.
“Campuses and institutions across the country would benefit from gaining a wider understanding of what happened here, what could have been done better, and what steps further and higher education institutions could be taking to better safeguard students and staff.
“Labour was proud to see the introduction of Coco’s Law in 2021 to end the illegal sharing of intimate images. Laws can make a real difference to people’s lives, but they need enforcement and understanding to ensure that the illegal sharing of such images are prevented from happening.
“To add to this, we need to make consent training the norm in all places of education, starting at a much early stage in formal education.
“In addition to talking about consent, we also need to find ways to support victims through these situations when they do arise. This will require funding for dedicated training of campus staff in how to deal with reports of sexual harassment and assault.
“This is not an issue that is exclusive to higher education – it happens across Irish society that victims do not feel safe or empowered to report, and perpetrators trade off that silence and experience little to no consequences for their actions.”