Half of all rapes committed by 'a stranger'

More than half of all rape victims are preyed on by a stranger or someone they just met on a night out, it was revealed today.

New research revealed almost four out of ten women are also severely beaten or psychologically abused by a violent attacker.

Dublin Rape Crisis Centre (DRCC) said 284 victims of rape and sexual assault were accompanied to a treatment unit last year, an 80% jump in seven years.

Its annual report for 2008 also showed almost 9,500 people called its helpline, with half seeking support for childhood sex abuse.

Ellen O’Malley Dunlop, DRCC chief executive, said there was a worrying increase in rape by strangers, which is now 51% of all cases reported.

The figure is a 14% increase over the last five years.

“A stranger is someone you could have just met, not someone who jumps out of a bush,” she said.

“It is somebody who is in the extended context of a party, a person not known to the victim 24 hours before the attack.

“Men and woman should not get separated from their group on a night out and nominate a designated minder.

“But there are some circumstances when they might go to a party and go to bed and wake up with someone in it uninvited.

“These are scenarios we hear more and more of.”

When the DRCC’s helpline was launched 30 years ago it received 78 calls. Last year 12,741 calls were made, of which 9,487 were deemed genuine.

Some 73% were from the Dublin area, 86% of calls were from women, and 8% of callers were non-nationals.

Statistics showed 580 clients were seen for crisis counselling and psychotherapy, with numbers attending for childhood sexual up by 20% in the last five years.

Ms O’Malley-Dunlop revealed the figures are soaring this year following the publication of the Ryan Report.

Elsewhere DRCC revealed a 5% increase in sexual violence in recent years.

Chairman Brendan Spring said the statistics make for grim reading.

“I found it most disturbing that 38% of our clients in 2008 told their therapists that, in addition to sexual violence, they had experienced various other types of abuse, including physical violence, attempts to kill and torture,” he added.