Ryanair chief executive Michael O’Leary has rejected calls for an apology over comments in which he compared rival airlines to “rapists”, insisting that his remarks did not trivialise the “heinous crime of rape”.
The Dublin Rape Crisis Centre (DRCC) criticised the Ryanair boss following comments he made to journalists ahead of the airline’s annual general meeting in Dublin. The organisation said his choice of language risked contributing to the trivialisation of sexual violence and urged him to apologise to survivors.
During the media briefing at Ryanair’s headquarters, Mr O’Leary was asked whether it was appropriate to describe competing airlines with high fares as “high-fare rapists”. He said he believed the comparison was “absolutely” appropriate.
In a letter sent to Mr O’Leary, DRCC chief executive Rachel Morrogh called for a swift apology to people who had experienced rape and sexual violence. She said an apology could help provide some form of healing to those who had been distressed by his remarks.
However, Mr O’Leary strongly rejected the criticism. In his response, he said he was “quite clear” that nothing he had said could “possibly trivialise the heinous crime of rape" Further adding "I will certainly not be issuing any apology".
He explained that when questioned about whether his use of the term “high-fare rapists” diminished the seriousness of rape, he had made his position clear. According to Mr O’Leary, he had also been directly asked what he thought about rape and described it as a “heinous crime”.
“I could not have been clearer,” he wrote, maintaining that he had not trivialised the offence.
The Ryanair chief executive also refused an offer from the DRCC to undertake training relating to sexual violence. He said that because he believed he had not trivialised rape, he would neither apologise nor accept the training offered by the organisation.
Mr O’Leary also disputed the DRCC’s assertion that his comments could contribute to dismissive attitudes towards rape survivors. He described that claim as “both false and defamatory”, arguing that he had clearly acknowledged rape as a heinous crime and recognised survivors as victims of that crime.
Ms Morrogh had previously expressed her disappointment at Mr O’Leary’s comments, saying she could not imagine he would use the term in such a casual manner again if he fully understood what it meant to survive rape.
She said the DRCC had received calls from rape survivors who were upset and distressed by his remarks in the aftermath of the media briefing.
Ms Morrogh also suggested that Mr O’Leary, who she described as one of Ireland’s most experienced communicators, had deliberately used the word “rape” as a metaphor to attract media attention.
“I imagine that it was to get a headline,” she wrote, “but I wanted to let you know that you got the headline at a price rape survivors had to pay.”
She offered to provide Mr O’Leary with training on sexual violence and its impact on survivors, but the Ryanair CEO declined the offer.
