SEXUAL VIOLENCE IS AN UNDERADDRESSED ISSUE IN IRISH SOCIETY

ABSTRACT
Key Themes: Risk, Well-Being, Violence Sexual Violence negatively affects a large portion of the population, and has significant negative consequences for victims. Yet policy and the justice system response are lacking.

Lorcan Murphy 10335845

Sexual Abuse Rates for Men and Women in Ireland

Implementation of COSC high-level goal activities

Penetration Attempted penetration Contact abuse Non-contact abuse No abuse reported Good Progress Poor Progress Progress with Delays
Source: Mid-term Progress Review

Sexual Violence and Abuse affect an enormous percentage of the Irish population, with between 2/5 and 1/4 of women experiencing sexual abuse in their lifetime.
Sexual Violence causes serious personal harm. Survivors can suffer mental health issues, with survivors being more likely to have used medication for anxiety, depression, or required psychiatric hospitalisation. We can establish sexual violence as negatively impacting on citizens well-being, often in acute ways, and yet criminal justice systems display greatly under-representative levels of reports on sexual violence and abuse. Policy remains in abstract, investing/developmental stages of research and identifying measures, focusing on addressing current survivors, rather than prevention. (pg 16 HSE doc) Key policy group initiatives progresses slowly, with the majority of goals displaying delayed or poor progress. And finally, legislation for sexual offenders only requires a 7-day window to register with Garda, creates a Garda-only access to the sex offender registry, and solely requires informing work placements in cases of working with children or mentally impaired persons.
References (2005) SAVI and SAVI Revisited: Dublin Rape Crisis Centre, pg 4, 5, 6 CSO Crime and Justice Statistics: Variables: 0211, 0214, 0215, http://www.cso.ie/px/pxeirestat/Statire/SelectVarVal/Define.asp?maintable=CJA01&PLanguage=0 (2012), Mid-term progress review of the implementation of the National Strategy on Domestic, Sexual and Gender-based Violence 2010-2014, Institute of Public Administration, pg 10, 12 (2001) Sex Offenders Act, Ireland, Part 2, (10), (26) (2010) HSE Policy on Domestic, Sexual and Gender Based Violence: National Communications Unit, pg 1518

Source: SAVI Revisited

2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 Rape of a male or female 411 451 371 357 348 376 479 463 Aggravated sexual assault 14 7 16 17 13 8 7 10 Sexual assault (not aggravated) 1098 1156 886 809 890 894 1532 1205
Source: CSO Crime and Justice Statistics

CONCLUSION
Sexual Violence Remains a widespread issue in Ireland, with severe consequences for a survivors well-being, yet response is disproportionately small to the risks and consequences involved.

Source: SAVI Revisited