Hundreds of women complain of marital rape

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

“This is in a climate where currently not one conviction on marital rape stands,” the Rape Crisis Network Ireland (RCNI) said yesterday.

Marital rape was recognised as a crime in 1990, but RCNI noted the first and only jury conviction in Ireland - in 1999 - had been appealed lately.

“In our experience, we find that Ireland just isn’t ready to hear about marital rape,” said RCNI legal policy coordinator Kate Mulkerrins. “This is to our great shame and must be faced up to now as a matter of urgency.”

Annual figures for 2003 produced by Women’s Aid (WA) showed “a worrying level of abuse” during pregnancy - much of it aimed at the unborn child as well as escalating violence at this time.

Immigrant women and minors are being forced to work as prostitutes, based on a small but significant number of calls WA said it received. There was also an increased number of calls from immigrant women living in abusive relationships.

“We have received reports of minors being brought into the country and raped repeatedly by men calling themselves their husbands who then try to force them into prostitution to repay their debt for bringing them to Ireland,” said WA director Margaret Martin.

Of 10,317 instances of abuse reported to WA, 1,352 were reported to involve sexual abuse.

Abuse of women extends to those who are disabled. “For many disabled women their abuser is also their carer and they face serious difficulties in accessing support,” said Ms Martin. And most women’s refuges were not accessible to the disabled.

Women’s Aid Helpline (1800 341 900) responded to 12,908 calls - up 17% on 2002. Due to lack of resources, nearly 6,000 calls could not be answered as all support workers were engaged.

Regarding access to children by women’s abusive ex-partners, WA said there should be reports on the perpetrator’s level of risk to children and their mother.