Protesters hold placards at a rally in support of the woman (Picture: Filly Campbell)

Thousands of women across Ireland rallied in support for the 19-year-old woman at the centre of the Ulster rugby rape trial today.

Yesterday, two men, Paddy Jackson, 26, and Stuart Olding, 25, were cleared of all charges in connection with an incident, which was alleged to have taken place in 2016.

Murder investigation after 'particularly violent' stabbing near Manchester

They were accused of sexually assaulting a woman when they went back to Jackson’s flat after a night out.

The court was told how the pair were in a WhatsApp group in which they discussed having a ‘spit roast’ and said sex with the woman was ‘like a merry-go-round’


A jury of eight men and three women took three hours and 45 minutes of deliberation to deliver the unanimous verdict.

To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video

Two other men, Blane McIlroy, 26, and Rory Harrison, 25, were acquitted of all the charges against them following a nine-week trial.



McIlroy was accused of exposure, and Harrison of perverting the course of justice and withholding information.

Hundreds of people gathered outside the Laganside Courthouse in Belfast, where a little over 24 hours before the Ulster rugby players were found not guilty.

Protests were also held in Derry, Cork, Dublin, Limerick and Galway.

Yellow roses were tied to the gates in solidarity (Picture: Filly Campbell)

In the same spot just 24 hours before, the two men were cleared of rape (Picture: Filly Campbell)

The hashtag #IBelieveHer began trending on Twitter hours after the verdicts (Picture: Filly Campbell)

Following the verdict the police said that the number of reports of serious sexual assaults, including rapes, had gone up in the nine weeks of the trial, reports the Belfast Telegraph.

In the hours after trial was brought to an end the hashtag #IBelieveHer was trending on Twitter.

Armed police surround pub with 20 customers trapped inside

Belfast’s rally was organised by Reclaim the Night, a group that campaigns against gender-based violence and harassment.

They said the rally was organised ‘in response to the impact’ of the trial and how it has been handled by the criminal justice system.

On Facebook, the they wrote: ‘The feminist movement is calling a rally in response to the impact of the recent rape trial in Belfast.

Signs and flowers at Laganside Court in Belfast (Picture: Filly Campbell)

The crowds gather in Northern Ireland’s capital city (Picture: Filly Campbell)

Massive crowds outside Cork City Hall for the #IBelieveHer solidarity rally (Picture: Twitter/Kate Kelly)

More crowds gather in Dublin (Picture: Twitter/SusieQmusic)

‘There is a lot of anger and upset among women who have observed the treatment of the [woman] in this case and found it harrowing and re-traumatising.’

There were calls for the overhaul of the justice system including a blanket ban on reporting of trials until the jury had come to a verdict and said more should be done to ease the distress of those who make allegations of sexual assault and rape.

Dad of youngest Manchester bombing victim says 'lessons should already have been learned'

Yellow roses were attached to the gates of the court in solidarity of the woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons.

Many waved placards to support the woman who gave evidence throughout the trial, which was described by the judge as ‘probably the most difficult trial any jury in Northern Ireland has been asked to adjudicate on’.

After the verdict Olding released a statement delivered by his lawyer, Paul Dougan.

Huge crowds at the Spire in Dublin (Picture: Twitter/SusieQmusic)

Paddy Jackson was cleared of rape yesterday (Picture: Getty)

Stuart Olding was also cleared of rape (Picture: PA)

After expressing gratitude for the jury finding him not guilty, the Ulster and Ireland rugby player said: ‘I want to acknowledge publicly that although I committed no criminal offence on 28 June 2016 I regret deeply the events of that evening.

‘I want to acknowledge that the complainant went to court and gave evidence as to her perception of those events. I am sorry the hurt that was caused to the complainant. It was never my intention to cause any upset to anyone in that night. I don’t agree with her perception of events and I maintain that everything that happened that evening was consensual.’



The accuser, now 21, said during the trial that she was reluctant to go to police at first, but added: ‘The more I thought about it, rape is a game of power and control. They rely on your silence. The only way you can take power back is when you actually do something about it.

‘Going to the police was doing something about it. I may be preventing it happening to someone else.’

MORE: Bullied boy finds acceptance with rescue cat who has exact same rare condition

MORE: Women whose SUV drove off cliff killing six kids ‘were fleeing child abuse claims’