Ill-trained GPs lead to rape case failures

RAPE prosecutions have collapsed because inexperienced and ill-trained GPs are being drafted in to carry out specialist forensic examinations, the Mid-Western Health Board claims.

In a proposal for a dedicated sexual assault unit in the region, which covers Limerick, Clare and North Tipperary, the board notes: "There are documented cases where GPs inexperienced in forensic examinations and court testimony have been a critical factor in unsuccessful prosecutions. However, the frustrations experienced by the gardaí and medical personnel pale in comparison to the additional trauma experienced by victims waiting for forensic examinations and undergoing such examinations in ad hoc circumstances."

The board warned this situation may contribute to under-reporting of sexual assaults. A recent study by the Royal College of Surgeons of Ireland found that less than 8% of women and 1% of men report sexual assault.