ALL SEXUAL TOUCHING WITHOUT CONSENT IS A CRIME THERE IS NO GREY ZONE
Consent
Your body belongs to you. Only you can decide what to do with it. If someone wants to touch you sexually, they need your consent.
Did you know?
- Consent is giving permission without fear, force or fraud and having the capacity to do so.
- It doesn’t have to be verbal, but it needs to be real, obvious, and ongoing.
- Consent only lasts as long as you want it to. You can change your mind at any time.
- Whether you’re in a relationship, married or have just met the person, you need consent.
- Giving consent one time, for sexual activity, is not giving consent every time.
- If a person is asleep, unconscious, or very intoxicated, they can’t give their consent.
- If a person is under 16 years old they legally can’t give consent.
If you say “no”, they have to stop. If they don’t, they are committing sexual assault or rape.
Don’t believe the myths
Drunk or high
Reality: Someone who is unconscious, or very drunk or high, can’t give consent. Having sex with someone who is incapacitated is rape. It is never the victim’s fault.
Strangers
Reality: Most rapes are committed by people the victim knows. Perpetrators can be friends, colleagues, neighbours, family members, or partners.
Previous consent
Reality: Sexual assault can happen in relationships, or between people who have had sex with each other before. Consent needs to be given each and every time. Without consent, it’s rape.
Flirt
Reality: No one asks to be sexually assaulted, and appearance or behaviour should never suggest otherwise. Rape has nothing to do with how the victim was dressed, or how they were acting.
Over clothes
Reality: Sexual assault is any sexual touching that happens without consent. It could happen in the middle of a work day, at a party, or on public transport – place where people are fully clothed.
Reporting
If you have experienced sexual assault, know someone who has or you’re just not sure, there are steps you can take. Report it to police by calling 101, reporting online or, in cases of emergency, phoning 999.
What will happen next?
If you report to the police, you will be treated with respect and provided support from the moment the report is made. Find out more about what happens next by watching the Police Service of Northern Ireland’s animation.
Reporting sexual assault and abuse is not easy, but you will be supported by committed people who are experts in this field. They will treat you with understanding and empathy, and they will never pressure you into doing something that you do not want to do.