Her book Not the Perfect Victim is climbing, and Hand says she sued Conor McGregor to challenge how society treats those who report sexual assault.
Nikita Hand is speaking out about the case that put her at the centre of a global conversation, and the growing popularity of her book, Not the Perfect Victim, is the latest twist in the story. Hand won her civil case against Conor McGregor in Dublin. McGregor has denied the allegations.
Hand says she nearly walked away before it started. In her own eyes, she was an imperfect victim. On the day of the assault she had been out drinking and using cocaine before she contacted McGregor, who then took her to a Dublin hotel. She feared that those details would be used to discredit her before anyone listened to what she said happened.
That fear is the heart of her story and the reason for the book's title. Hand argues that society too often decides who counts as a believable victim based on behaviour, lifestyle or choices made before an assault, rather than on the allegation itself. She says she went ahead because she wanted to change that stigma.
The book's strong reception shows how much the case has resonated beyond the courtroom. It also keeps attention on how people respond to sexual assault allegations, from the pressure on those who come forward to the assumptions that shape public judgment.
