Dublin Rape Crisis Centre had 'one of its most demanding and defining years' in 2025

DRCC CEO Rachel Morrogh said many survivors are still facing barriers to reporting abuse and seeking support

Rachel Morrogh said the continued increase in contacts reflects both growing public awareness and the scale of sexual violence in Ireland. Photo: Sam Boal/Collins Photos

The Dublin Rape Crisis Centre received almost 24,000 calls to its National Helpline in 2025, according to the charity's annual report published on Tuesday.

The 23,955 contacts marked a 5.5% increase compared with 2024, which the charity said was one of the busiest years ever recorded by the organisation.

The types of abuse reported to DRCC last year included: rape — 471 clients; sexual assault — 221; marital rape — 44; suspected drug-facilitated rape — 35; aggravated sexual assault — 18; image based sexual abuse/cyber-abuse — 15; multiple assailant rape/assault 10.

Other key statistics from the report include:

• 23,955 contacts were made to the National Helpline in 2025.
• 7,352 people contacted the helpline for the first time.
• More than 11,600 contacts came from repeat callers.
• Almost 5,000 callers chose not to disclose identifying details.

The report, to be officially launched by justice minister Jim O'Callaghan also highlights the continued rise in demand for therapy and accompaniment services to sexual assault units and court.

It shows DRCC supported 838 therapy clients in 2025, up 31.5% on the previous year. Therapists delivered more than 7,300 appointments, a rise of almost 23%.

Accompaniments to Sexual Assault Treatment Units (SATU) for first visits rose by 17.3%. Follow-up clinic accompaniments increased by 68.5%, one of the sharpest rises recorded in the report.

It found an overwhelming majority of people contacting DRCC were women.

The largest age group seeking support were aged 30-39. However, the figures also showed children continue to be affected by sexual violence, with 129 callers aged under 16 contacting services during the year.

The report says 79.5% of clients experienced sexual violence as adults, highlighting the widespread impact of sexual violence across society.

The charity also had more than 30 million interactions across all of its social media and website platforms. DRCC chief executive officer Rachel Morrogh described 2025 as “one of the most demanding and defining years” in the organisation’s history.

She said the continued increase in contacts reflects both growing public awareness and the scale of sexual violence in Ireland.

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Ms Morrogh said many survivors are still facing barriers to reporting abuse and seeking support, despite increased awareness campaigns and public discussion around sexual violence.

The organisation also pointed to increasing levels of trauma and complexity among callers, with counsellors supporting people dealing with mental distress, homelessness, and isolation alongside the impact of sexual violence.

The charity said the figures underline the urgent need for continued investment in support services as demand continues to rise year after year.

The main goals for the DRCC now are to continue to provide:

• High-quality protection including continued front line services for victims and survivors as well as timely services and support for those recovering from abuse 
• Effective prevention, including providing awareness, education and training