Muireann O’Connell reveals she felt “powerless” as she recalled a terrifying incident in which she was inappropriately touched by a stranger.
Taking to Instagram on Thursday, the Ireland AM presenter wrote: “Ok so I had this on Stories, but thought I’d put it here because it appears to have happened to a lot of people.”
“While we were getting this shot, a complete stranger came up and pinched my arse. We all assumed it was someone we knew, it was a joke but… Nope.”
Muireann continued: “When my brain clicked in, I felt like a complete idiot for not running after him and… doing I don’t know what.”
“Now I know that this is nothing in comparison to what happens to people without their consent everyday.”
“I also know that worse happened to most of us as young ones when we were simply walking through a packed pub or nightclub but I just assumed that being older, I’d have the cop on to do… something. But my training kicked in and it was to do anything to avoid a fuss.”
“I’m not in anyway traumatised by someone pinching my arse. When the right person does it, deeelightful! It was the response to it that got me. Be quiet, say nothing.”
“Everyone who was there was the exact same,” Muireann continued. “They all said ‘did that actually happen?’ They were LOVELY and we moved on, cause I wanted to move on.”
“But it’s weird, right… that powerlessness. Something I think has happened to a lot of us but we don’t say anything…. I still don’t know what I’d do if it happened again but I’d like to think I’d at least roar at the f**ker.”
“I just wanted to say it out loud so we could perhaps all realise it’s ok to ROAR at the f**ker.”
“I know a lot of people are gonna say that they would punch him, slap him….whatever but the messages on stories are the same as mine. Freeze. Don’t make a fuss and it just sits in your head, the disappointment in your own response while he’ll never think about it again. Anyway… again, I know, not a big deal!”
Muireann then took to her Instagram Stories to open up a text box, for her followers to share their own uncomfortable experiences, should they wish to.
The Ireland AM presenter revealed she had received “so, so many messages from people of all sexes and genders”.
“Jesus, it’s f**king awful and infuriating and properly upsetting,” Muireann admitted. “Truly sorry for every single one of your experiences. All so valid.”
