Vera Pauw's experience shows barriers to disclosing sexual violence are 'still huge' 

Republic of Ireland manager Vera Pauw

The experience of Ireland’s national women’s football coach after she was allegedly raped and sexually assaulted by three men in Dutch soccer underlines the reality that barriers to disclosing sexual violence are “still huge”, the head of the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre has said.

Vera Pauw, aged 59, issued a detailed statement on Friday night in which she alleged she was raped by a “prominent football official” in the Netherlands when she was a player, some 35 years ago.