Only 'tiny percentage' of rapes reported to gardaí make it to court

The DPP decided to prosecute 168 people for rape last year, compared to 124 prosecutions in 2019. Photo: File

Figures released from the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) show a 35% increase in rape prosecutions in 2020.

The DPP prosecuted 168 people for rape last year, compared to 124 prosecutions in 2019.

‘Other sexual offences’ for the same timeframe rose from 459 suspects to 530, meaning there were 115 more prosecutions for sexual offences last year than in 2019.

However, Noeline Blackwell, from the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre, says these figures are still quite low, as only 14% of rapes reported to gardaí actually end up in court.

“In relation to the number of complaints made to the gardaí over the last three years, in relation to rape alone, I calculate that about 14% of these go to trial," she said.

That’s a very tiny percentage of cases. You have to recognise many people never report a rape to the gardaí at all.

Cliona Saidlear from the Rape Crisis Network Ireland says the reason for this increase is because gardaí have commenced specialised investigations into reports of sexual violence:

“The theory behind that specialisation was that the gardaí were going to be delivering a higher quality, specialist service to survivors, survivors would be getting a better service and the evidence would be better," she said.