In the wake of a court case which showcased a teenage girl's underwear, Irish rape victims displayed their clothing in a powerful statement.

As part of a protest exhibition in Dublin, rape victims have put the clothing they were wearing at the time of attack on display. 

The "Not Consent" exhibition, conceptualized by Ruth Maxwell, was organized to be showcased at Street 66, a city center bar.

In one particularly harrowing case, the Holy Communion dress of a child is clear for all to see.

Ireland has a well documented history of victim blaming in court. Hazel Larkin, from Action Against Sexual Violence Ireland, told the Press Association that the collection was designed to challenge the “dominate cultural narrative” around consent. 

"The items in the Not Consent collection in city centre bar Street 66 include the Holy Communion dress of a child victim of sexual assault"#metoohttps://t.co/pkVcT2szsw

— Berlin Ireland Pro Choice Solidarity (@ProChoiceBerlin) November 29, 2018

“We really need to stand up and say ‘no more, enough’,” she said.

“This is not where the shame and the blame belong, it does not belong to the victim, it belongs absolutely, solely and completely and only to the perpetrator.”

The protest comes just weeks after a barrister referred to a 17-year-old complainant’s thong during a trial in Co. Cork, in which a man was later acquitted of rape.

The incident made headlines across the world, and sparked a public and political debate on whether or not it is appropriate to take into an account what an alleged victim was wearing during trials of this nature. 

Rape victim Leona O’Callaghan attended the opening of the exhibition last week.

► VIDEO: "The communion dress beside the Christmas tree really gets me" - exhibition featuring clothing worn by victims when they were sexually assaulted opens in Dublin https://t.co/yUZmHpQQQe pic.twitter.com/3h86PbKBa5

— Irish Times Video (@irishtimesvideo) November 30, 2018

The woman's childhood attacker was jailed earlier this month for 17 years.

O'Callaghan noted that all the items of clothing on display shared only one common link.

“The only common thread between all the outfits on display today, we had communion dresses, we had lingerie, we had boxer shorts, the only common thread is that the person who attacked us while we were wearing them were rapists, there is no other common thread,” she stated.

“It’s a good and strong exhibition, but there is no pattern, because clothes do not matter.”

Read More: Fury as man acquitted of raping teenage girl, her underwear used against her in trial

Read More: #ThisIsNotConsent - Irish rape trial comments spur international protests