Surge in number of people reporting being raped or sexually assaulted while abroad

Research showed 7% of all people who attended a Sexual Assault Treatment Unit between 2017 and 2023 had disclosed an incident of sexual violence that had occurred in another country.

A new study has shown one in every 14 individuals who report a rape or sexual assault at specialist health clinics in Ireland suffered sexual violence while travelling abroad.

The findings of the research have prompted doctors working in the country’s six Sexual Assault Treatment Units (SATUs) to urge people who experience sexual violence while outside Ireland to immediately seek medical attention upon returning home.