Rape by strangers is on the increase, the chief executive of the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre warned yesterday.
Ellen O'Malley Dunlop said the trend had been noticed over the last 12 to 18 months and as a result the centre was advising friends on nights out to look out for each other, nominate a designated minder, and not to get separated from their group.
They should also ask a friend to mind their drink and if they have to travel alone they should make sure to phone ahead with an estimated time of arrival.
"What people don't realise is unfortunately stranger rape is on the increase and there are perpetrators who are waiting to prey on the vulnerable and they are not just acting on their own, they are acting together," she said.
"People are not safe walking home on their own at night."
Her comments came as the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre published figures showing its volunteers had to accompany 30 victims of rape - mainly women - to the sexual assault treatment unit at Dublin's Rotunda Hospital last month.
On December 22nd and December 29th - the Saturday nights on either side of Christmas - a total of eight people were brought to the unit, four on each night. And one of the women who attended had to travel from Donegal as there was nobody available to conduct a forensic examination on her in Sligo, Letterkenny or Ballina. The round trip took her 10 hours.
Ms O'Malley Dunlop said it was sad to find there had been no decrease in the numbers who had to be accompanied to the sexual assault treatment unit at the Rotunda in December 2007 when compared with December 2006.
"It is very worrying to see the increase in the levels of violence which is now accompanying these attacks. It is also a huge concern that in some cases the perpetrators of these crimes are not operating alone. Sometimes the perpetrators are in twos and threes," she said.
Furthermore, she said, the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre's helpline number - which is a national number - received 48 calls between Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve and 12 of these calls related to recent rapes. This meant more people were victims of rape than were coming forward to report it.
In addition victims of rape across the State could have attended units other than the Rotunda for help during December. There are also sexual assault treatment units in Waterford, Cork and Letterkenny.
The rape crisis centre national freephone helpline can be contacted on 1800 77 88 88.