Nikita Hand case sees rape helpline calls virtually double

Calls to a rape helpline virtually doubled over the weekend following the decision of the civil rape case in opposition to Conor McGregor, the Dublin Rape Disaster Centre has stated.

On Friday, a jury on the Excessive Court docket in Dublin discovered the mixed martial arts fighter had assaulted Nikita Hand by raping her in a lodge in Dublin in December 2018.

McGregor was ordered to pay Ms Hand virtually €250,000 (£206,000) in damages.

In the meantime, it has emerged that for the reason that case ended, numerous retailers, together with Tesco, stated they’ll now not inventory merchandise which have been linked to McGregor.

Rachel Morrogh, chief government of the disaster centre, added that the variety of first-time callers elevated by 50% over the weekend.

“Within the six hours instantly after the decision was delivered on Friday afternoon the calls surged by 150%,” she continued.

“I believe the trial has resulted within the scales falling off some individuals’s eyes as to what the sufferer expertise is in an adversarial authorized state of affairs,” Ms Morrogh stated.

“It has additionally thrown up some societal questions across the blame and disgrace positioned on the sufferer when it actually must be solely on the door of the perpetrator.”

“In Eire, one in two individuals who have skilled sexual violence won’t ever inform one other individual,” she advised BBC Radio Ulster’s Good Morning Ulster programme.

Rape Disaster NI interim mission coordinator Aisling Graham advised BBC Radio Ulster’s Evening Extra programme that calls to their info and help service has “doubled over the past week”.

“It’s troublesome to say if that is because of current information occasions or if it’s not, we wouldn’t ask our survivors precisely what has made them name,” Ms Graham advised the programme.

Nonetheless, Ms Graham went on to say that they’re noticing Rape Disaster NI are getting extra calls of “historic occasions”.

“Persons are considering that they’re able to disclose or able to report it now. That could possibly be one thing that individuals are seeing within the information of survivors, it could possibly be a spread of various issues.”

Ms Graham additionally added that following circumstances of this nature their organisation would see a rise in individuals looking for assist.

In the meantime the corporate that now owns a whiskey initially co-founded by McGregor stated it might now not be utilizing his identify and picture for his or her advertising.

A spokeswoman for Proximo Spirits advised BBC Information NI it had been the “100% owner of Proper No. Twelve Irish Whiskey since 2021“.

Earlier, Grocery store Tesco had stated it was eradicating Correct No 12 Whiskey from sale within the UK and Eire.

The Barry Group advised BBC Information NI it was eradicating Solid Stout and Correct 12 from circulation in Costcutter and Carry Out stores.

“This motion displays our dedication to sustaining a retail atmosphere that resonates with the values of our prospects and companions,” a spokeswoman stated.

Solid Irish Stout was based by McGregor.

A spokesperson for BWG Meals stated the merchandise have been now not listed for distribution throughout its community of SPAR, EUROSPAR, MACE, Londis and XL shops.

Store chain proprietor Musgrave can be now not stocking merchandise linked to the blended martial arts fighter.

Musgrave operates the Supervalu, Centra, Dawn and Mace manufacturers.

Irish airport operator DAA stated the whiskey was faraway from sale in each Dublin and Cork airports over the weekend.

On Monday night, several hundred people marched in Dublin in help of Ms Hand.

The protesters marched from Dublin Metropolis Corridor, alongside the River Liffey and to the workplace of the Irish director of public prosecutions (DPP) to specific concern at what they imagine to be a failure in not taking a prison case in opposition to McGregor.

A better authorized threshold applies to a prison case than a civil case as in a prison case the burden of proof is past cheap doubt.

In a civil case it’s on the stability of chances.

Ms Morrogh believes there are social points which “should be addressed to encourage victims into the justice system”.

“There are wider questions on what sort of society we’ve got the place individuals can’t disclose experiences of sexual violence and know that the individual they’re speaking to does imagine them, gained’t decide, gained’t disgrace them and gained’t blame them,” she stated.

Sinn Féin chief Mary Lou McDonald has stated the director of public prosecutions ought to supply a solution on why they selected to not prosecute Conor McGregor.

Expressing her solidarity and help for Ms Hand, McDonald stated: “She’s been by way of a horrible, horrible ordeal. I believe she deserves and I believe girls extra broadly deserve absolutely the reassurance that the DPP has actually interrogated this matter appropriately and has taken the proper plan of action”.

“Now I’m conscious that there’s a distinction between a prison cost and a civil case, and the burden of proof is completely different in each. So it is not for me to do the DPP’s job for them, however I believe it’s cheap,” she advised BBC Information NI on Tuesday.

“I’ve heard it in conversations, numerous conversations, girls asking: ‘Properly, how is it that, for the reason that civil case was profitable, {that a} prison cost was not pursued?’

“I believe within the curiosity of public confidence, it might be very, very useful to have a solution,” McDonald added.

In 2020 the DPP advised Ms Hand there was “inadequate proof” to deliver a prison case and there was not an inexpensive prospect of conviction.

Ms Hand requested the DPP to assessment the choice, saying she felt she was being handled otherwise as a result of one of many suspects was well-known.

When requested in regards to the DPP’s determination to not prosecute, the outgoing Irish Justice Minister Helen McEntee said: “We have now a really impartial system on this nation, and I believe that is proper”.

A listening to on authorized charges is because of happen this week.

McGregor has additionally vowed to enchantment the choice.