Sir, – I have always been an admirer of Jacky Jones's Second Opinion pieces in your newspaper. However, I have to disagree with her recent piece "Will consent education prevent sexual violence? Unfortunately, no" (Health + Family, January 16th).
It is progress that transition-year students are given six extra two-hour lessons on sexual consent, which is to be delivered by those working in frontline sexual violence services. These sessions will give the students the time to discuss the complexities that surround what consent is and what consent isn’t. It is also progress that the Criminal Law (Sexual Offences) Act 2017 has within it very clear definitions of what consent is and isn’t and that judges will have to instruct juries on these definitions.
While consent education will not totally prevent sexual violence, I believe it will go a long way along the road to preventing these crimes for a lot of people. Communication and education are the keys to a healthier society. – Yours, etc,
ELLEN O’MALLEY
DUNLOP,
Templeogue,
Dublin 6W.