Health

More forensic suites needed in sexual assault treatment units, clinical lead says

Data shows more than 1,000 people attended SATUs last year, with 21% of those under 18 years of age

The number of adolescents attending SATUs had been increasing, Dr Maeve Eogan said. Photograph: iStock
The number of adolescents attending SATUs had been increasing, Dr Maeve Eogan said. Photograph: iStock
Noel Baker
Fri Feb 09 2024 - 12:59

The head of the country’s Sexual Assault Treatment Units has said additional forensic facilities are needed to assist those attending the SATUs as new figures show more than 1,000 people were seen last year.

Provisional data from the country’s SATUs show 1,061 people attended the various units around the country last year, with 21 per cent of them aged 18 or under.

While 90 per cent of those attending were able to be seen within three hours, in half of the remaining cases, the delay was because the SATU was unavailable – typically because it was already dealing with another case.

Dr Maeve Eogan, National Clinical Lead for the SATUs, said this highlighted the potential need for additional forensic suites, particularly at busier units.

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“Unfortunately there is only one forensic suite [at the Rotunda],” she said. “It’s not a clinical setting where you can have a number of practitioners providing care concurrently. These cases can only be cared for in a sequential manner.

“We are seeing more and more that we have inadequate space to provide the quantum of care that is required.”

Developments at the Rotunda may mean additional space is found but Dr Eogan said the SATU was one of the number of competing interests at what is the country’s busiest maternity hospital.

According to the provisional figures for the SATUs, more than 90 per cent of incidents last year described a single male assailant; 32 per cent disclosed that they had taken no alcohol in the 24 hours before the incident and 19 per cent were concerned that the incident may have been a drug (including alcohol) facilitated assault.

More than half of those who attended a SATU reported the case to the gardaí, while the figures show 2 per cent of attendees (24 people) were aged 14 or under, 8 per cent (83 people), were aged 14 to 16, and 11 per cent (115 people) were aged 16 to 18.

Dr Eogan said the number of adolescents attending SATUs had been increasing and that it was “clearly an area of concern” and an “indictment of society”. But she said it would be “far worse” if those people were not attending and seeking support. She said it highlighted the need for continuing work and campaigns to raise awareness of consent and sexual health, including education programmes at schools.

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