Sexual violence increasing, warns rape crisis centre

Sexual violence is rising, despite official crime figures showing that the number of reported rapes had declined, the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre (DRCC) said today.

According to the Central Statistics Office (CSO), the number of sexual offences has fallen consistently since the third quarter of 2007. However, the DRCC warned that fewer victims were reporting the crimes to gardaí.

"Our statistics show that sexual crime is not diminishing. These statistics are not to be confused with statements from the gardai and the Central Statistics Office," said Brendan Spring, chairman of the DRCC. "Fewer victims are reporting rape and sexual abuse to the gardaí, which distorts the real picture. This report shows the true story."

The rape crisis centre's 2007 annual report found that 320 victims of rape or sexual assault had been seen at the Sexual Assault Treatment Unit (SATU), which represented a 100 per cent increase in the six year period 2001 to 2007.

A third of people who turned to the DRCC for help said they had suffered physical violence, psychological abuse and intimidation in addition to the rape or sexual assault.

"Over the past number of years we observed a growing trend in the levels of violence accompanying rapes and sexual assaults. In 2007 we documented the evidence which supports these observations," said Ellen O'Malley-Dunlop, chief executive of DRCC.

There was also an increase in the number of calls to the centre's 24-hour helpline, with a rise of 5.5 per cent on the number of repeat calls received in 2006, and an increase of 1 per cent in the number of male callers to the line compared to the previous year. Men now account for 17 per cent of calls to the helpline.

More than half of the calls the helpline dealt with related to adult rape and sexual assault, while just over 47 per cent dealth with childhood sexual abuse, 5 per cent more than in 2006.