‘This is Ireland’: Dublin woman left injured after brutal on-street attack

After Trinity College announced back in January that it would be making consent workshops mandatory for all freshers, the news became the subject of more than a few heated debates.

Were the workshops needed? Would they really do any good? Could knowledge of consent really be taught?

For anyone still asking those questions, we'd like to point you in the direction of this Facebook post, by Dublin woman Victoria Curtis:

The 34-year-old was walking home via Camden Street with some female friends late on Saturday night when her group was heckled by a man asking them, in Victoria's words, "to take off our trousers, pull down our knickers and show him our arses."

Stopping to tell the man that it "wasn't cool" to speak to women like that, Victoria found herself at the receiving end of a brutal physical attack.

"This is what misogyny looks like," Victoria wrote, adding that she believed the attack was as much down to her sexuality as her decision to speak back to the heckler.

"This is what being punched four times in the face looks like because you're a queer.

"This is what happens when we call them out. This is what will keep happening if we keep ignoring and accepting their behaviour. 

"This is why consent courses are needed in colleges. This is Ireland 2016."

In one positive development, Victoria acknowledged the Gardaí's "brilliant work" after her report of the attack.

Gardaí also confirmed to the Irish Independent that they were reviewing CCTV footage in an attempt to track the man in question down.

Meanwhile, hundreds of people have shared and commented on the post to show their support.

"This is unacceptable, disgusting and so wrong. I'm angry, gutted and hurt for you," one reader wrote.  "That's horrible. Brave of you to call him out on it. Hope he gets caught," wrote another.

Here's hoping Victoria's attacker is caught, and that the incident serves as a wake-up call to anyone who is still on the fence about the need for consent education in this country.