A document from Tusla, outlining how social workers should respond to allegations of child abuse and neglect, opens the way for an alleged abuser to cross-examine his or her victim.

The man accused of murdering Cork nurse Karen Buckley is due to appear in court in Scotland again today.

A six-month sentence given to a Roscommon man convicted of sexually abusing his five-year-old daughter is "too lenient", it has been claimed.

Abuse victim Mairia Cahill has passed on the names of around 35 alleged abusers to the gardaí and PSNI.

The country’s largest rape crisis centre has assured victims that its website is secure after what was initially thought to be an anti-feminist attack by hackers claiming to be from Islamic State.

Rape crisis groups have welcomed proposed laws aimed at protecting victims from having to disclose therapy notes in trials, or from being cross-examined by their attacker.

Dublin Rape Crisis Centre has said it welcomes the decision by the Professional Footballers Association of Ireland to remove a blog post which linked the Ched Evans rape case to the Guildford Four and the Birmingham Six.

Justice Minister Frances Fitzgerald reacted to the report’s criticisms by announcing measures to address some of the main failings identified.

Welcome to your Wednesday morning briefing. Let us ensure you’re up to speed on what’s happening and are prepared for the day ahead.

A retired High Court judge has claimed victims of crime sometimes use victim impact statements to try to influence a judge ahead of sentencing.

Far too many sexual crimes are committed in our society with impunity, the head of the country’s biggest rape crisis agency has said.

We are very quick to condemn the public gang rapes, sometimes followed by the victim’s murder, that seem routine in India.

Convicted sex attacker Anthony Lyons bowed his head yesterday when a judge said he must go back to prison to serve another 18 months on top of six months already served.

The amount of porn young teenagers are accessing is causing so much damage to their psychological growth it must be seen as a major public health crisis.

In the early ’90s, her lone voice exposed a dark period in history, writes Conall Ó Fátharta

The Dublin Rape Crisis Centre is advising people that their service is open over the Christmas period.

Children are no match for adults intent on harming them and they need to know that from an early age, a leading children’s charity has warned.

BENJAMIN FRANKLIN put it succinctly when he declared that “those who would sacrifice liberty for security deserve neither”.

Up to 16% of students have suffered an unwanted sexual experience at college or university, a study found.

Rape crisis groups want specialist education for judges and barristers and greater protection for victims in court.

The country’s largest rape support group is reporting a rise in physical and other forms of violence accompanying rapes and sexual assaults.

The latest report on the incidence of rape, the most heinous of crimes against women, reflects a truly shocking picture of society where sexual violence, including gang rape, is now increasing alarmingly.

It’s the No 1 hit of the summer. But Robin Thicke’s video and lyrics have been accused of glamorising rape and abuse, says Ed Power

A rape victim has said she is devastated by a judge’s decision to let her attacker walk free from court in order to look after his special needs children.

The family of Jill Meagher will be amongst those running to raise funds for the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre in the Flora Women's mini marathon on Monday.

Rape survivor Fiona Doyle, who fought for 20 years to have her father jailed for a decade of childhood abuse, is pressing prosecutors to bring charges against her mother.

Society should be shouting from the rooftops and insisting more be done to stop the escalation of rape attacks, according to the head of the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre.

Ellen O’Malley-Dunlop of the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre raises a critical question about attitudes to rape Ireland in her comment on the brutal murder of a 23-year-old Indian medical student, an appalling crime which has drawn worldwide condemnation. She asks: New Delhi and Dublin — how far apart are we?

The judiciary do not operate in a vacuum. Any judge whose habitual conduct shocks the public will have a detrimental effect on justice, writes Dan Buckley

A judge who controversially jailed a businessman for six years for a garlic import scam has let a sex attacker walk free from court.

Teenagers have been warned to take extra care as almost 60,000 students celebrate their Junior Certificate results.

First-time callers to a rape crisis helpline increased by almost 20% last year.

Children’s Minister Frances Fitzgerald said the seven child protection reports were “horrific” and “shocking”, with child protection being ignored in some instances up until last year.

Rape crisis groups have hit out at the sentence in the Anthony Lyons case, describing it as very lenient.

Lorraine Mulvey, who spoke out yesterday to help rape victims, said she is now looking forward to a new life with her fiancé.

Two thirds of convicted sex offenders due to be released from prison this year have not engaged with prison psychologists, which could have helped lower the risk of reoffending.

NEW Year party-goers are being urged to take steps to avoid being targeted by sex attackers over the bank holiday weekend.

New Year revellers are being warned to beware of sexual predators on nights out.

THE number of registered sex offenders breaching their notification requirements to gardaí doubled last year, official figures show.

THE number of sex crimes carried out by juveniles has nearly trebled, official figures show.

MORE than half of people seeking counselling from the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre (DRCC) last year experienced childhood sexual abuse.

COUNSELLING services throughout the country have reported a significant increase in calls from people seeking help following the publication of the Cloyne report.

THE number of 14-year- olds being counselled following sexual assault in Cork almost doubled between 2009 and 2010 and many of the alleged abusers were other teenagers.

Our hypersexualised society is having devastating consequences for children, with teen rape cases far more commonplace writes Claire O’Sullivan