Ryanair chief executive Michael O’Leary’s description of rival airlines as “high-fare rapists” trivialises sexual violence and hurts victims, the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre has said.
Speaking in advance of his airline’s AGM on Thursday, O’Leary said it is “absolutely” appropriate to compare other airlines to “rapists”.
The billionaire businessman claimed rising air travel prices at other airlines would see passengers switch to Ryanair.
He told reporters at the company’s headquarters in Dublin: “You might find some people will choose not to fly with Ryanair – but you know they’ll be overrun with the people abandoning Aer Lingus, Lufthansa, BA and others desperate to get to Ryanair’s low fares because they can’t afford to fly with the high-fare rapists around Europe.”
He later repeated the “high-fare rapists” comments.
Asked whether this was appropriate language, O’Leary told reporters: “Absolutely.”
Challenged on whether it was offensive to victims of rape and sexual assault, O’Leary said he would “happily offend” the airlines mentioned.
Further pressed on whether the language was trivialising rape, he said: “That’s what I call high-fare airlines like Lufthansa, BA, and others.”
The chief executive of Dublin Rape Crisis Centre, Rachel Morrogh, said she was dismayed at O’Leary’s remarks.
“These are lazy and uninformed comments. It feels like Mr O’Leary is chasing soundbites with no regard for how they may affect people,” she said.
“Undoubtedly, the words of high-profile individuals can contribute to trivialising and tolerating sexual violence in our society. And for many survivors of rape, his words will be deeply hurtful and angering to hear.
“I will write to Mr O’Leary to offer him training on how the trivialisation of rape is so harmful. He has verbalised a historical trope and, as a leading figure in industry, he should lead from the front in terms of what he says and does.”
Rape survivor and campaigner Fiona Doyle said O’Leary needs to apologise.
She told Newstalk: “You can understand it if it was a slip of the tongue, but for the reporters to come back and question him on the word he used, and for him to repeat it.
“Like, ‘I don’t care who this offends’ ... it was just so wrong.”
Solidarity TD Ruth Coppinger said: “I think it’s disgusting that Michael O’Leary would trivialise rape and sexual assault by bandying around the word ‘rapists’ in order to get a provocative soundbite and get covered in the media in relation to other airlines.
“And to say that it wasn’t offensive – it’s offensive to victims and survivors of rape and sexual assault.
“And what he was doing was purely using a word that he knew would get airtime – and no recognition of the fact that women, men, LGBT+ people who’ve been the victims of sexual assault which is at an epidemic level in our society and internationally would feel really insulted by that.”
Coppinger said O’Leary should apologise and withdraw the remarks.
“This is a really serious problem that’s faced by so many women, so many LGBT+ people – and it is at epidemic levels in our society and internationally.”
Victims’ advocate Caroline Forde accused O’Leary of being “callous” and using “sensational language about a very pervasive and serious issue”.
She told Newstalk radio: “He’s doing that while triggering and re-traumatising victims and survivors.
“It’s extremely offensive,” she added.
– Additional reporting: PA
