Dublin Rape Crisis Centre contacts US embassy over 'very sinister' Conor McGregor White House visit

The Dublin Rape Crisis Centre said it has written to the US Embassy to express its dismay at Conor McGregor’s meeting with Donald Trump in the White House.

Rachel Morrogh, the charity’s CEO, said yesterday’s meeting was “a very sinister event”. The MMA fighter posed alongside US President Donald Trump on St Patrick’s Day in the Oval Office as he told him: “Your work ethic is inspiring”.

McGregor’s partner Dee Devlin, his four young children and businessman Elon Musk also joined for a photoshoot with the President. US Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said she couldn’t think of a better Irish person to welcome to the White House on St Patrick’s Day.

Last November, McGregor was found liable in a civil case for sexual assault against Nikita Hand and ordered to pay €248,603 in damages. Speaking to RTÉ, Ms Morrogh said: “Yesterday's meeting was a very sinister event and it needs to be called out for what I believe it was which on one hand was normalising sexual violence and on the other hand an attempt to rebuild the very damaged reputation of Conor McGregor.

“What is sobering and shocking is that the office of the president of the US, which is so respected and trusted and esteemed, is being used for both of those things. And on St Patrick's Day, that office was used to launder Conor McGregor’s reputation. Every backslap, every word of flattery, every aspect of that meeting showed a really callous indifference to every survivor of sexual violence.”

The CEO said she is writing to the US embassy “to outline how deeply troubled the rape crisis centre is by yesterday’s events”. She added: “Much of what he says is unacceptable and this is something that we saw coming, it’s just one of a number of examples of President Trump putting public energy into restoring the status of strong and powerful men who have been accused of different forms of sexual violence and assault.

“He is sending a message that sexual violence is something he is trivialising and the road to redemption leads straight to the Oval Office.” Ms Morrogh said yesterday’s meeting was difficult for a lot of people, but especially those who are victims of sexual assault. She worries it will deter victims from coming forward with their stories.

She said: “There has been a really strong reaction amongst the Irish public that this is not something they agree with, and I hope that yesterday's performance doesn’t have a chill effect on people coming forward.

“It has taken decades to create a supportive climate for survivors to share what happened to them. Yesterday's events will confirm suspicions and fears that survivors have around not being believed and believe what happened was their fault.”

Taoiseach Micheál Martin and Tanaiste Simon Harris have publicly condemned McGregor’s comments about immigration in the White House’s press room. They say he does not speak for the people of Ireland. Ms Morrogh said the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre “really welcomes” these comments by the country’s leaders.

She added: “We have to call out these things when we see them in real-time and I think that leadership includes standing up to bullies and bullies don’t respect difference so we have to be really strong, really brave, really courageous, just like survivors of sexual violence.”

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