Rape group sounds alarm over sex offence statistics

RAPE and child support groups yesterday linked the massive drop in unlawful carnal knowledge offences to the crisis over the statutory rape laws.

Rape crisis experts expressed concern that the number of unlawful carnal knowledge incidents hadn’t actually dropped; rather, offenders weren’t being prosecuted because of confusion over the law.

The number of unlawful carnal knowledge offences recorded by gardaí fell by 38% in 2006, from 94 to 58 cases, according to the latest crime figures from the Central Statistics Office (CSO).

The fall in offences was even higher (48%) in the second half of 2006, after the Supreme Court last June declared the law on statutory rape unconstitutional, because it didn’t allow the defence of an honest mistake regarding age.

The Government subsequently introduced legislation bringing in such a defence.

Clíona Saidlear of Rape Crisis Network Ireland (RCNI), said: “The 40% drop in unlawful carnal knowledge has to be because we don’t have strict liability in relation to statutory rape anymore.”

“What are we convicting those people of? Are we deciding not to convict them in the absence of strict liability and, if so, are we just letting child rapists off the hook?”

She said that, without the reintroduction of strict liability, the only way to secure a prosecution was to put a child in the witness box, where he or she would face cross-examination.

“This is incredibly difficult for a child, and harmful and traumatic, and the DPP, the gardaí and the parents and even the child might make a decision not to put themselves through that.

“The effect... is that we just won’t be able to prosecute child rapists.”

She said these figures underlined the urgent need to have the promised referendum to remove the defence of an honest mistake.

Paul Gilligan of the Irish Society for the Protection of Cruelty to Children said the drop in offences recorded by gardaí did not tally with their experiences.

“I have the suspicion that it may be related to the Supreme Court decision,” he said.

Meanwhile, the RCNI said the dramatic rise in aggravated sexual assaults on adults reflected increasing misogyny in society.

“We think this is due to the increased levels of violence and misogyny in society and the normalisation of pornography. This gives the green light to offenders,” said Ms Saidlear.

The number of aggravated sexual assaults jumped by 64% between 2003 and 2006.