15 people contact gardaí regarding sexual assaults in Defence Forces

The contacts are in addition to the 26 Defence Forces abuse cases gardaí were already either reviewing or investigating.

Some 15 people have contacted gardaí following an appeal for victims of sexual assaults in the Defence Forces to come forward.

Some allege they are victims, while others have passed on information about alleged offences.

The contacts are in addition to the 26 Defence Forces abuse cases gardaí were already either reviewing or investigating in April when they launched a major Garda National Protective Services Bureau (GNPSB) investigation into complaints.

That was launched after the Independent Review Group (IRG) looked into allegations of abuse in the Defence Forces that followed the 2021 Women of Honour programme on RTÉ.

One of the consequences of the IRG report, which was published in March, was a direction by Defence Minister Micheál Martin that all allegations of sexual assault by serving members occurring in the State are to be referred directly to gardaí.

A Garda spokesperson said: “An Garda Síochána has received 15 contacts either directly to the Garda National Protective Services Bureau or at local Garda stations across the country. 

"Contacts are from a variety of individuals, including victims. 

"Each allegation is individual, and each victim is supported with compassion and empathy.” 

The latest figures come as the Defence Forces said it is investigating its highest number of alleged sex crime offences in any one decade for more than 20 years.

The organisation has confirmed there have been — to date in the 2020s — 21 Military Police investigations since the start of the decade, 20 of which were initiated after June 2021.

The statistics are an increase on the 20 investigations run in the entire 2000s and the 17 in the 2010s.

Retired company sergeant Alan Nolan, spokesperson of the Canary Movement that represents victims of all forms of abuse and mistreatment in the Defence Forces, said: “Ultimately statistics are representative of a wider problem and don’t tell the full story.

“Just because the Defence Forces launched a campaign about bullying and harassment in April 2022 called IT STOPS NOW doesn’t mean the abuses have suddenly stopped or gone away. Far from it.

“What is going away, however, is our Defence Forces personnel — male and female — who can no longer put up with the constant assaults, bullying, harassment, intimidation, persecution, and penalisation."

Diane Byrne, from the Women of Honour group, said: “We are not surprised numbers are up both with gardaí and the Defence Forces.

“The fact that gardaí are as actively involved as they appear to be is a good thing because it might focus a few minds in the Defence Forces that need focussing.” 

A Defence Forces spokesperson said: “The Defence Forces are taking a number of steps to help strengthen members' confidence in the complaints procedures.

“[These include] a full review of these procedures, immediate referral of all complaints of a sexual nature to An Garda Síochána and the continued option for any member to make a complaint independent of the chain of command, directly to the Ombudsman for the Defence Forces.”

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