RTÉ journalist found guilty of sexually assaulting woman as she slept

This is pretty much a textbook example of how education around consent could be so useful.

Sure, people who know what they are doing is wrong won't learn anything, but I'd wager this isn't such a case.

I'd agree that this guy isn't some dangerous abuser or whatever, just a guy who doesn't know what the law says. A guy who thought that (to use an expression already used on here) he was just 'trying it on' and never imagined it could amount to sexual assault. And no doubt he's not the only one who got in real trouble for that.

Education on consent, even if just about what the law says, and what could get you in deep sh!t like you never imagined, would be very worthwhile.

They were found not guilty. Legally there was no crime proven. That doesn't mean you have to condone their behaviour or what they did. You can still form an opinion that what they did wasn't good!

According to several people here you are a raging pervert, a creep and a threat to the moral fabric of society.

We have daughters - if they met a lad like this and were in this situation, told him to stop and he stopped. Then I'd have no problem at all with him on that basis.

So you'd have no issue if your daughter came home and told you that after telling a lad no she woke up with him on top groping her?

so she stayed the night sharing a bed with a fella she had consented to some sexual activity earlier with the suggestion of more later. then she is traumatized when he tried to initiate it again later - while still in bed together - she says no and he backs off .She then stays the night in the bed with him - texts him - meets with him later to discuss his bad behavior.

She wants to meet her attacker ...like ffs you gotta question this.

then waits a year to complain to the garda that he grabbed her tits. a fcukin year. I guess his apology didn't come with the mea cupla she wanted so she went for the pound of flesh too. This complaint and prosecution was vindictive in the extreme. A misunderstanding and an apology shouldn't result in this.

This completely devalues victims of actual sexual assault. Because his conviction labels him in the same vein of people who actually attack women.

but he grabbed her tits ! the white knights will say - sure!! maybe kak handed come on in but not a crime to lack the Casanova touch. he was in bed with her already post some sex activity - he didn't grab her in the street ffs .yet now will be labelled like he was going around attacking a woman.

I hope people judge him on the story not the conviction.

Well if you don't condone their behaviour then you can easily state so. But you can also condone it if you want. Up to you. Your posts imply some measure of agreement that their behaviour was fine and respectable and not below par

I was on a jury for a sexual assault case some years ago. That really opened my eyes to what goes on in a jury room. Lets just say some minds are made up as soon as they see the defendant and hear the charge and no amount of evidence is going to change their minds. Since then I would always make sure to have evidence before I make any decision on guilt. In the end it was unanimous, but there was no convincing some of them of anything other than their first opinion the whole way through. They didnt even bother waiting to hear the evidence before deciding.

I also had another event where i supposedly witnessed a sexual assault (I just had a conversation with the couple and had been gone for hours before the event, that it turned out never happened) and had to go to the police station to explain exactly what I saw, so I know what pressure the gardai put on you to say what they want to hear.

Hopefully the judge sees sense and applies a suspended sentence for 30 days or something minimal.

waste of court time and tax payer money.

I think this whole episode should teach people a few things.

Say nothing to guards in terms of statements or interviews without legal representation. I think this young mans goose was cooked when he gave them way to much info.

Always enure you have decent representation in court. Surely to god his barrister must have been telling not to accept the verdict and to appeal.

human sexual relations are more complex and nuanced than your absolute statement. Assuming you are a logically adult you would know this.

you'd have a point if they hadn't been sexual prior and sharing a bed. that offers a whole other dynamic and you know this.

he started round 2 , she said no . he stopped and said sorry.

he isn't a danger to anybody - this conviction serves no public interest and only the vindictive nature of the women in the case

There was very little coverage on RTE (and other Irish media) quelle surpise - surely a far more significant case to be covered than that of the wives of English footballers gossiping about each other.