Ireland Discovers Real Culprit Behind Rape Crisis: Grandparents Hugging Their Grandkids
The Irish government released an advertisement depicting grandparents hugging their grandchildren in an effort to combat rape.
Pete Peterson · Oct 22, 2026 · 2 min read
The Irish government released an advertisement Tuesday depicting grandparents hugging their grandchildren in an effort to combat rape.
Ireland’s taxpayer-funded Dublin Rape Crisis Centre (DRCC) faced criticism from Irish lawmakers for a TV advertisement promoting consent. The DRCC released an advertisement for the We-Consent campaign showing grandparents hugging their granddaughter – without the granddaughter’s approval.
Ireland’s taxpayer-funded Dublin Rape Crisis Centre (DRCC) faced criticism Tuesday from Irish lawmakers for a TV advertisement promoting consent. The DRCC released an advertisement for the We-Consent campaign showing grandparents hugging their granddaughter – without the granddaughter’s approval.
“Not everyone wants a hug. Even from the people who love them,” the advertisement from the DRCC says. Facing backlash, the advertisement was quickly scrubbed on Tuesday, BBC reported. The DRCC did not immediately reply to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment.
“[The advertisement] was both inappropriate and demeaning to grandparents,” Irish Fianna Fáil politician Jim O’Callaghan told the BBC.
“Embarrassed for all the people that think that this is a literal rather than a figurative message…and have forgotten that advertising creativity is a thing,” Ireland’s Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Councillor Lorraine Hall said on X, defending the advertisement.
The DRCC created the advertisement using feedback compiled from over 20 consent workshops discussing scenarios that made participants feel uncomfortable, The Irish Times reported.
The Irish government’s CUAN is a statutory agency established in 2024 to provide resources to organizations assisting victims of sexual assault, including the DRCC. CUAN’s budget increased from €54 million to €79 million in 2026, according to the CUAN 2025 annual report.
“The mission of Dublin Rape Crisis Centre is to prevent the harm and heal the trauma of rape and other forms of sexual violence,” the mission statement of the We-Consent campaign states.