I hope shameful behaviour of gardaí does not stop victims from reporting sex crimes

THE vast majority of people never report sexual assault and the minority that do rarely have the satisfaction of a prosecution, let alone a trial.

I found myself in that position almost three years ago when, with the help of my family, I reported being raped.

Yesterday, I listened to the transcripts of the gardaí in Mayo and I felt sick.

It is blatantly and shockingly clear how very unimportant such a crime is to these guards — how indeed, they don’t see it as a crime at all, but a way of asserting their control through degradation. Which is, after all, what rape is about. That not being enough, they go on to insinuate that the woman they repeatedly say they will rape has an STD — “you never know what you get” one clever garda quips.

Often, it is the shame a rapist transfers to their victim that keeps the victim silent. It is what a rapist can often rely on.

One thing I can be thankful for is that in the 21st century, these gardaí don’t know the mind boggling intricacies of the “on” and “off” button on a piece of recording equipment, and that the shame has stayed with them. I fervently hope this disgusting display by these “guardians of the state” does not stop victims of sexual crime from reporting it.

Name and address withheld by request