Ridiculous....What about when the nappy needs changing? What if the child cries to object? If a child is treated with due respect and care well then I'm sure they learn to be empathetic. But when they reach the age to be handed a smartphone and have access to the web, thats when parents should be proactive in policing their internet usage and prohibit access to porn sites. This is a major problem in how younger people, because women are mostly portrayed as disposable objects in porn, may form negative views around sexuality in general. Maybe that would be a better way to combat sexual abuse.
My view on the referendum issue is simple. I am saddened that we have permitted abortion to be legislated for in our Republic. Remember it is very likely that there will be a no reason required to terminate up to the 12th week. Alternatively we could have legislated for fatal foetal abnormality events without dispensing with the right to life protection for a vulnerable voiceless foetus.
For example, how many fathers will be told that their unborn child has been terminated without their knowledge, now this protection has sadly been discarded. In the days before this referendum, I can refer to quite a few fathers, including married ones, to whom this happened. As a de minimis principle, everybody who is entitled to vote is entitled to an opinion on this and every other constitutional issue.....gender status does not disqualify from participation in public discourse.
Legislation was already there.
http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/eli/2013 ... ed/en/html
The medical profession was fearful of section 22 as there was a criminal sanction for intentional destruction of human life. See below.
http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/eli/2013 ... html#sec22
A simple amendment or deletion of this provision may have negated the need for a referendum at all.