Victims wait 3 years to see sex abusers sentenced

Victims of sexual abuse who report the crime to gardaí have to wait almost three years for sentencing in cases where charges are brought.

A report said the legal system was “a complicated, lengthy and sometimes painful process” for those survivors who take the brave decision to seek justice.

The report, The Guide to the Legal Process for Survivors of Sexual Violence, published by Rape Crisis Network Ireland, was launched yesterday by the former justice minister, Nora Owen.