One-third rise in contacts to rape crisis helpline in 2022

DRCC CEO Noeline Blackwell said: 'Our report shows people were able to seek support on the national helpline. Others found the time and courage to consider reporting sexual violence or seeking justice in courts or other fora.' Picture: Sasko Lazarov/RollingNews.ie

The National Rape Crisis Helpline received 18,400 contacts last year, which is an increase of 31% on the year before, a new report has revealed.

The figures which are published today, as part of the 2022 annual study carried out by the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre (DRCC), also show more women contacted the helpline (84%) than men (15.7%).

DRCC’s chief executive Noeline Blackwell, who steps down as CEO at the end of October, said the report “shows people — many of whom faced serious mental health, economic, and other challenges — were able to seek support on the national helpline.

“Others found the time and courage to consider reporting sexual violence or seeking justice in courts or other fora.” 

The report, which will be launched this afternoon, also revealed the largest age cohort using the helpline was 18–23-year-olds, who formed more than a fifth of contacts.

The 31% increase also included a rise in calls to those on the DRCC’s therapy waiting list.

The study also showed an increase of 63% in outgoing calls — to 3,009 contacts — from the helpline to people in need of counselling, due to the charity’s “significant difficulty in recruiting sufficient therapists in 2022”.

Of those seeking therapy in 2022, 93% were women — 62.2% of whom had experienced sexual violence as an adult.

A total of 37.8% told the service that they had been abused as children.

Rape was recorded by the DRCC as the most common form of sexual violence experienced by adults at 38.4% along with marital rape at 6.93%, followed by sexual assault and sexual harassment.

The DRCC said it also supported 291 victims at sexual assault treatment units last year, which is an increase of 153% on 2021. The charity said it accompanied 331 victims and their friends and family in justice settings during court cases as well as 246 survivors who reported abuse — including 50 people who attended garda stations.

CEO Noeline Blackwell said:

“In 2022 people were resuming ‘normal life’ after the restrictions of covid. Our report shows people — many of whom faced serious mental health, economic and other challenges — were able to seek support on the National Helpline. Others found the time and courage to consider reporting sexual violence or seeking justice in courts or other fora.

Despite our limitations including difficulties in recruiting therapists, this report shows we in DRCC — staff and volunteers — were privileged to be there for them offering support and healing.

Minister for Children Roderic O’Gorman said he commended the authors of the report for their “vital work”.

“Their Annual Report clearly sets out the breadth of that work, and how it provides such strong support to people who experienced sexual abuse and sexual violence” he said.

“For our part, the Government has placed a focus on combatting domestic, sexual and gender-based violence, through the new Third National Strategy, the establishment of a dedicated Agency for domestic and sexual violence, and the introduction of paid leave for victims of domestic violence.

The DRCC said it also trained 630 people across 57 courses and events in 2022 on issues around sexual violence.