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DUBLIN’S RAPE CRISIS Centre had almost 13,000 contacts to its national 24-hour helpline last year, and provided therapy for 550 face-to-face clients.
The 12,855 contacts to its helpline was increase of 500 from the previous year, according to its annual report which is set to be published today by Garda Commissioner Drew Harris.
Staff at the centre accompanied 251 people to examinations at the sexual assault treatment unit at the Rotunda in Dublin, and also provided support on 53 days to victims who were making a criminal complaint either at a garda station or in court.
Centre CEO Noeline Blackwell complimented the work being done by gardaí who are fully trained in the investigation of sexual offences, but highlighted the continued lack of specialist units or investigators to deal with “these sensitive investigations”.
When poorly handled, it can lead to victims withdrawing from the criminal justice system and being re-victimised by the experience, Blackwell said.
“When you combine this with the systemic difficulties of our court system in such trials, it is little wonder that there is such a high rate of drop-out between reporting and trial and even a very low rate of reporting,” she said.
A dedicated staff member at the centre was hired this year to focus on developing accompaniment and support justice services.
The issue of how sexual assault and rape cases are handled in the courts came to prominence this year, following the Ulster rugby trial and the recent case highlighted by Ruth Coppinger.
The topic had been discussed in after a defence barrister in a rape trial asked a jury in Cork to take into account that the 17-year-old complainant was wearing a lace thong on the night in question.
The barrister’s comments sparked outrage and led to protests, which made international headlines, as well as Solidarity–People Before Profit TD Ruth Coppinger holding up a thong in the Dáil during Leaders Questions.
Coppinger said it was time for “rape myths” to be dispelled, adding that a person’s choice in clothing does not equate to consent. She called for more training among the legal profession in this regard.
A review of the handling of sexual assault cases in Northern Ireland, published last week, suggested juries could be provided with information to help guard against stereotyping.
Retired judge John Gillen said there should be measures to combat rape myths and stereotypes involving the way a complainant dressed, the fact that they had drunk alcohol or taken drugs, or the fact that they did not scream or fight.
“Frustratingly, many people, men and women, still harbour unspoken views about appropriate behaviour for individuals according to their gender,” Gillen stated in his review.
Dublin Rape Crisis Centre head of clinical services Angela McCarthy said they continue to see an increase in the number of callers and clients who have experienced rape and sexual assault.
The centre delivered 3,883 appointments in 2017, mostly in Dublin city centre but also in Coolock, Dóchas Centre in Mountjoy and in Tallaght.
McCarthy said: “Nearly 48% of Helpline contacts related to adult rape, compared to 41% of 2016 contacts. Of new clients seen in 2017, 49% had experienced recent rape or sexual assault.”
With reporting from Órla Ryan, Michelle Hennessy
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I believe it is time to reform how we process rape trials in this country.
For too long victims of rape have had to endure an imbalanced adversarial system that doesn’t convict enough and doesn’t remove the stigma of the accusation.
@John Smith: no denying there are issues around rape at court cases but I’m more concerned about attitudes around rape in our society. Making this about the courts only serves to preserve attitudes.
@Mjhint: Agreed, this is getting ridiculous, how many articles have been centered around the same topic today? It’s been well established at this point that the barristers comments at the end of the trial were totally inappropriate, just as inappropriate as those who saw an opportunity and misrepresented them.
During a comparison of how sexual assault cases are handled in Northern Ireland and in the South it was generally accepted that, for once, the Republic dealt with victims better than in the North. Their laws need to catch up with ours.
And what agency would offer this impartial training to the most learned legal minds in the country, the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre? While I have absolutely no doubt of their good intent I’d question their impartiality. This has gone on long enough, The Journal itself is loosing credibility at this point.
@Arch Angel: The learned legal minds that use women’s underwear as a tool against them…yes very learned indeed.
@Arch Angel: yesterday was international day for the elimination of violence against women.
I don’t know why it bothers you to have a few articles about women and what men do to them. If you don’t want reportings about rape in Ireland, get out there and start doing your best to change your brothers’ attitudes so that they don’t rape.
@Arch Angel: maybe the the articles should coming until something is actually done about it? All I’m seeing is a bit of lip service.
@Veronica: his brother rapes ppl?
@John Smith: same goes for those who are falsely accused, should the false accuser receive the same prison sentence that would be imposed on the accused?
@Free Online Games: Women who are proven to have made false allegations of rape against innocent men are treated as leniently as shoplifters. They never go to jail. Another one last week in Kerry got off with the usual suspended sentence. When these women succeed with their false allegations they ruin the lives of innocent men but judges usuallly just criticize them for the damage they do to real victims as if destroying the lives of innocent men is a trivial matter. It is the height of hypocracy for the RCC to keep claiming that rape is a heinous crime and yet remain silent on the leniency shown to women who make false allegations.
@John Smith: Cases concluded by the Central Criminal Court in 2017 resulted in 57% conviction and 43% acquittal according to the court service annual report. This is in line with the conviction rate for other crimes. The RCC are unlikely to seek to dispel the myth that you have just repeated.
@Arch Angel: well recognised by whom? The barrister had not been censured.
The response of the judiciary has been to circle the wagons and bring in legislation immediately to censure whistle blowers in the press. Their cynicism is breathtaking.
Do you realise that the legal profession are told to advise alledged rape victims not to make any defence against a section 3, which is past sexual history, clothes alcohol consumption, as it will lead to an increased liklihood of a conviction being overturned on appeal? This is why they have no legal representation.
The press interest will rightly continue until a legal remedy is found.
@Frank McGlynn: the same barre needs to be set to secure convictions in false rape accusation as in rape; a confession or incontrovertible evidence that leads a jury to find that there is not even 1% doubt that a false rape accusation occurred.
You should see the same rates of convictions. :/
Does anyone have a link to a detailed article about the recent rape trial where the underwear were used as evidence? I’m trying to find out the reason the man was acquitted. I don’t know if the underwear was taken into consideration for the verdict or not.
@SC: the jury just return a verdict of “not guilty”, they don’t give their reasons. It’s sort of crazy that that is how incredibly important decisions are reached, but there you go.
@SC:
This case was a retrial, the girl concerned is now 20 . The 30 year old married man was well known to Gardai.
@Aine O Connor: That comment does in no way whatsoever answer the question you replied to.
@Free Online Games: but the question had already been answered by me.
@Paddington C.: The high and mighty Conor Paddington battling for his daily social justice.
@Free Online Games: I offered factual clarity on how the legal justice system operates, but ok…
@Paddington C.: Trooper!
“systemic difficulties” double speak for things like the presumsion of innocence and cross examination, things that are the bed rock of the legal system.
@NPC4452347: they are in fact basic human rights which will be seriously eroded for accused persons in rape trials if proposals from the Law Reform Commission and the Department of Justice are implemented.
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