After a gruelling nine week trial, Irish and Ulster rugby players Paddy Jackson and Stuart Olding, and two of their friends, Blane McIlroy and Rory Harrison, have been found not guilty of raping a 19-year-old female student at a house party two years ago.

For women, especially Irish women, it’s been an emotional, exhausting and traumatic nine weeks.

The woman did what we are all taught to do. She sought medical help, went to the police and reported the incident, agreed to be a prosecution witness, and sat through nine weeks of humiliation as every detail of that night came under scrutiny inside and outside the court. What was she wearing? Had she been drinking? Her blood-stained underwear was passed around the court and her character was dragged through the mud by the media and public.

Sexual violence and abuse is endemic in Northern Ireland. In 2016, 810 rapes and 30,000 incidents of domestic abuse were reported in Northern Ireland. In the last five years, the country has experienced a 40 per cent increase in the number of rapes reported yet less than 1 in 10 rape cases ended in prosecution.

And what happens if a woman who has been raped becomes pregnant and wants to terminate her pregnancy? Northern Ireland has one of the strictest abortion laws in Europe and abortion under any circumstances, including rape and incest, is illegal despite the UN contesting that the law violates human rights. If a woman wishes to have an abortion, she has to travel to mainland Britain to procure legal and safe healthcare, undergoing more trauma and financial expenses. While a referendum to repeal the eighth amendment which prohibits abortion has been confirmed for 25 May in the Republic, in the north there’s no such movement towards a change in law.

Ireland is a cruel and toxic place to be a woman seeking agency over her own body. Time and time again, our bodies are proven to be not our own. In 2016, a 21-year old Northern Irish woman was reported to the police by her flatmates for taking illegal abortion pills because she couldn’t afford to travel to mainland Britain. She was taken to court and given a three month prison sentence.

When I grew up in Northern Ireland, the Troubles were no longer the biggest threat of violence facing its people – instead it’s the state’s control of women’s bodies. Irish women can’t win. If we don’t report sexual violence, we’re told it’s our fault that assailants get away with it, yet if we do report, we’re called liars and attention seekers. No woman goes through two years of trauma and humiliation for the attention.

Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures Show all 35 1 /35 Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures London Women's rights demonstrators hold placards and shout slogans during the Time's Up rally at Richmond Terrace, opposite Downing Street in London. Getty Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures London The Time's Up initiative was launched at the start of January 2018 as a response to the #MeToo movement and the Harvey Weinstein scandal. AFP/Getty Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures Berlin Women's March in Berlin. EPA Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures London The Time's Up Women's March marks the one year anniversary of the first Women's March in London and in 2018 it is inspired by the Time's Up movement against sexual abuse. Getty Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures Paris Women hold a banner reading "still feminist" with the Eiffel tower in background on the Trocadero esplanade in Paris. AFP/Getty Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures London Protesters hold up placards at the Women's March in central London. Rex Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures Paris A demonstator hold signs on the Trocadero esplanade in Paris during a women's march organised as part of global protests. AFP/Getty Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures London Chanting Times Up in the cold rain - On the anniversary of the Women's March on London. Rex Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures New York Thousands of people gather holding protest signs on Central Park West. EPA Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures New York Demonstrators take part in the Women's March in Manhattan Reuters Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures Chicago A woman holds a sign during the Second Annual Womens March in Chicago AFP/Getty Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures New York People gather near Central Park before the beginning of the Women's March in New York Getty Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures Washington Supporters gather during the Women's March in Washington AFP/Getty Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures New York The crowd lines up near Central Park Getty Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures Chicago Demostrators attend the Second Annual Womens March in Chicago AFP/Getty Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures New York Thousands hold signs and rally while attending the Women’s March in New York Getty Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures New York People gather near Central Park before the beginning of the Women's March in New York Getty Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures Washington People participate in the second annual Women's March in Washington Reuters Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures New York People hold signs up during the women's march Getty Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures Philadelphia Oscar Janicki, 6, participates in the Second Annual Women's March in Philadelphia Reuters Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures Philadelphia Crowds gather to participate in the Second Annual Women's March in Philadelphia Reuters Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures Washington People participate in the second annual Women's March in Washington Reuters Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures New York Women pose as they attend the second annual National Womens March in New York City AFP/Getty Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures Washington People participate in the second annual Women's March in Washington Reuters Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures New York People gather prior to the second annual National Womens March in New York City AFP/Getty Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures New York People take part in the Women's March in Manhattan Reuters Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures New York People gather the second annual National Womens March AFP/Getty Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures Washington People participate in the Second Annual Women's March in Washington Reuters Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures Rome A woman holds a banner reading "Womwn united will never be defeated" during Rome Resists demonstration part of the Women's March in downtown. AFP/Getty Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures Rome Italian actress Asia Argento (3rdL) attends the Rome Resists demonstration part of the Women's March in downtown Rome. AFP/Getty Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures Rome The Women's March Rome, designed to show solidarity for the protection of civil and social rights, women's rights and the environment included Italian actress Asia Argento, one of the first women to accuse US film producer Harvey Weinstein of sexual assault. AFP/Getty Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures Zurich A US citizen holds a poster on the anniversary of the inauguration of President Trump apologising to the world on behalf of her country, in Zurich, Switzerland. A year after millions of people took to the streets across the US and countries around the world, women's marches are being held in lots of cities this weekend. EPA Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures New York People take part in the Women's March in Manhattan Reuters Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures Rome A woman holds a banner reading "The rising of the women means rising of us all" during Rome Resists demonstration. AFP/Getty Images Women's March 2018 across the world: in pictures Rome A woman lifts her fist while holding a banner reading "Hear our voice" during Rome Resists demonstration. AFP/Getty

In the aftermath of the verdict, Irish women have been vocal in their rage and frustration at yet another incident of a woman not being believed or trusted.

Rallies have been held and people are using the #IBelieveHer hashtag to show their support for the woman at the centre of this case.

The repercussions of the trial will be deeply felt. The police and charities are concerned that the verdict and public shaming of the woman in this case will stop others from coming forward and reporting sexual violence. Meanwhile, Jackson and Olding are preparing to return to rugby, or as the Belfast Telegraph ran in their headline: “Four young men and their families now face challenge of putting lives back together after harrowing case.”