Ryanair CEO Michael O’Leary has said he did not trivialise the “heinous crime of rape” when speaking about the airline’s competitors yesterday and insists he will not be apologising for his comments.
The Dublin Rape Crisis Centre (DRCC) had called on Mr O’Leary to apologise for remarks he made to journalists before his airline’s annual general meeting in Dublin, saying his words would contribute to trivialising sexual violence.
During that media briefing at Ryanair headquarters yesterday, Mr O’Leary said it was “absolutely” appropriate to compare other airlines to “rapists”.
In a letter to Mr O’Leary, DRCC CEO Rachel Morrogh urged him to issue a “swift apology to survivors of rape and sexual violence”, saying that an apology would be a form of healing for those hurt by his comments.
Responding to Ms Morrogh, Mr O’Leary said he was “quite clear” that no remarks of his could “possibly trivialise the heinous crime of rape”.
Watch: O’Leary refers to competitors as ‘high-fare rapists’
The Ryanair CEO said he was asked if describing high-fare competitor airlines as “high-fare rapists” somehow trivialised the crime of rape, to which he responded that he was clear in his view that it did not.
Mr O’Leary said he was asked what he thought of rape and said that he had replied that it was a “heinous crime”.
“I could not have been clearer. I certainly did not trivialise the crime of rape as you wrongly claim,” Mr O’Leary wrote.
In his letter to the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre, he also turned down an offer of training.
“Since I clearly did not trivialise the heinous crime of rape, I will certainly not be issuing an apology or accepting your offer of training.”
Mr O’Leary also rejected the claim by the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre that his remarks “perpetuate dismissive attitudes to survivors of rape”.
He said DRCC’s comment was “both false and defamatory”, adding that he “clearly asserted” that rape is a “heinous crime”, and that rape survivors are victims of a heinous crime.