Naomi Long

The “Rape Myths = Real Harm” campaign aims to address issues identified in Sir John Gillen’s 2019 review of sexual offence trials in Northern Ireland.

“Unfortunately, myths about rape are still widespread,” justice minister Naomi Long said in launching the campaign today.

“They create shame, self-blame and, in many cases, prevent people from reporting these crimes, allowing perpetrators to escape justice.”

The first phase of the campaign will see 12 graphics published through the Department of Justice’s social media channels and shared by its partner agencies.

Mrs Long said: “Sir John Gillen’s message was clear: rape myths shift blame from the perpetrator to the victim.

“My Department, alongside our partners, have developed a series of graphics to challenge these misconceptions.

“There is no typical victim. There is no typical response to trauma. Responsibility for rape or sexual assault lies solely with the perpetrator — never the victim.

“We all have a role in challenging these myths. Rape myths cause real harm. It’s up to all of us to shatter them.”

Sir John said: “Rape myths represent some of the greatest impediments to justice for all victims and survivors of domestic and sexual abuse, but especially for women and girls.

“They potentially poison the criminal justice investigation process and invest jury deliberations with false premises, rather than evidence, in serious sexual trials.

“They contribute enormously to the silent tolerance of domestic and sexual abuse that underpins a culture which fosters victim-blaming and minimises, or even excuses, sexual violence, particularly among men, to the extent that these harmful attitudes promote wilful ignorance and become falsely normalised.”

He continued: “These rape myths are outrageously outdated tropes that deny years of intensive expert research on how victims should or should not respond to traumatic and violent sexual attacks.

“I know from my experience in interviewing many victims and survivors in the course of my Review in 2019 that the presence of rape myths is one of the reasons that victims feel so helpless, ashamed and consumed with self-blame.

“They feed their reluctance to report to police, or engage with the criminal justice system, allowing perpetrators to escape justice and repeat their crimes.

“With tiresome frequency, we as a community hide behind these myths and invoke them to look away and find some other reason not to speak out when confronted in plain sight by all the realities and trappings of domestic abuse and violence against women and girls.

“I strongly welcome this inspired DoJ campaign to challenge these myths. As Seamus Heaney said: ‘It is time to set the darkness echoing.’”

Joanne Barnes, CEO of sexual abuse charity Nexus NI, said: “Nexus NI welcomes this important step from the Department of Justice in taking forward the recommendations of the Gillen Review.

“Challenging the harmful myths that surround sexual violence is essential if we are to build a society where survivors are heard and supported, free from shame and stigma.

“This new social media campaign shines a light on the facts, counters long‑standing misconceptions and helps create space for informed, compassionate conversations.

“We fully support this initiative and the leadership shown in prioritising truth, education and the wellbeing of all those affected by sexual offences.”