Rape in Ireland - We must do more to help rape victims

THOUGH murder is a terrible, savage act at least the victim does not have to endure the terrible memories of the crime.

That painful and probably never-ending burden falls on the family, the loved ones and friends left behind by the victim.

Rape offers the victim no such refuge. Not only is the victim violated in the most intimate and inhumane way, they also have to live with the memory of the attack and the attacker. In many instances the attacker is well-known to the victim. Very often the woman – for it is nearly always a woman – may encounter their attacker as they go about their everyday business.