The political parties today faced calls to commit to radical reform of An Garda Síochána and the way it deals with rape victims.

FOUR victims of child sex abuse revealed yesterday how their abusers were still walking around free because of the State’s failure to prosecute them.

VICTIM and civil liberty groups yesterday criticised the composition of a top-level committee tasked with re-balancing the criminal justice system.

ON behalf of Rape Crisis Network Ireland, which has commissioned the law faculty at NUI Galway to undertake the largest study conducted in Ireland into the causes of under-reporting and cases ‘falling out of’ the judicial process, I ask any readers who may have been the victim of unwanted sex, to consider (confidentially) telling those researchers of their experience.

MORE than 1,000 women reported being raped or sexually abused by their partners in 2004, according to the latest figures from Women’s Aid.

THE Rape Crisis Network Ireland (RCNI) last night accused the Director of Public Prosecutions, James Hamilton, of adding to the hurt of the Holohan family by failing to explain decisions he made in relation to the trial of Wayne O’Donoghue.

The legal loophole which allows people accused of rape to cross-examine their alleged victims should be closed immediately, it was claimed tonight.

A loophole in Irish law must be closed so women testifying in rape cases do not have to face questioning from their alleged attackers, campaigners demanded today.

AS many as 95% of rape cases do not result in a conviction, according to the Rape Crisis Network of Ireland (RCNI).

MARITAL rape was disclosed by 512 women who sought help in relation to domestic violence last year.

The Rape Crisis Network has called for greater enforcement of the law against marital rape.

THE DPP should be made accountable and give reasons for decisions not to pursue rape cases, leading academics and rape help groups have urged.