THE DUBLIN RAPE Crisis Centre’s national helpline supported 18,400 people last year, an increase of 31% on the previous year and the highest level ever recorded. 

The centre’s annual report for 2022 is being released this afternoon. 

The report shows most contacts with the freephone national helpline were from females at 84%, while 15.7% were males.

The largest age cohort was 18 to 23-year-olds who formed just over a fifth of contacts to the line, followed by people in their 40s at just under a fifth. 

DRCC had 551 therapy clients in 2022, down from 580 in 2021. The slight drop in numbers was due to restrictions in recruitment of therapists, the centre said. 

Among the DRCC’s therapy clients last year, over 93% were female and some 62.2% had experienced sexual violence as an adult, while 37.8% had been abused as children. 

Rape was the most common form of sexual violence experienced as adults for DRCC therapy clients at 38.4%, followed by sexual assault and sexual harassment. 

Most new therapy clients in 2022 knew the person who raped or assaulted them – almost three-quarters (74.5%) of adult abuse survivors & 95% of child abuse survivors.

Some 37% of new clients had reported the crimes against them to gardaí. 

“In 2022 people were resuming ‘normal life’ after the restrictions of Covid,” DRCC’s chief executive Noeline Blackwell said. 

“Our report shows people – many of whom faced serious mental health, economic and other challenges – were able to seek support on the national helpline,” she said. 

“Others found the time and courage to consider reporting sexual violence or seeking justice in courts or other fora. Despite our limitations including difficulties in recruiting therapists, this report shows we in DRCC – staff and volunteers – were privileged to be there for them offering support and healing.”

The 24-hour helpline run by the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre can be contacted on 1800 778 888, or you can find your closest centre here.