Rape victims need help not delays

THE fact that some rape victims can endure a harrowing 11-hour delay before undergoing forensic examination is a damning comment on the inadequacy of our response to their plight, in a community where sex crimes have been swept under the carpet for decades.

Their ordeal represents a compelling argument for devoting significantly greater resources to tackling the escalating crisis of rape and sex assault in society.

What is especially disturbing is that the plight of rape victims in Waterford reflects only the tip of an iceberg as hundreds more women throughout the country must face similar delays in receiving suitable attention and treatment.

Despite a nationwide surge in the incidence of sexual assault, there are only four rape treatment units in the State. Geographically scattered, they are in Dublin, Cork, Letterkenny and Limerick.

Inevitably, if a rape happens in, say, Roscommon, a time lag of many hours is unavoidable while the victim is driven to a suitable centre for forensic examination in order to prepare evidence for any prosecution.

While the majority of victims are women, men are also subjected to rape and sexual assault.

A possible solution to this glaring inadequacy of relevant facilities would be for doctors to undergo training courses to enable them conduct forensic examinations in the face of rape claims.

According to the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre, by far the busiest in the country, doctors would be eminently capable of conducting such examinations. However, this crucial task would require special training for compiling evidence capable of withstanding legal scrutiny in a court.

Any lingering doubts about the extent of the crisis are dispelled by the latest Garda statistics showing sexual assault soared by 18% on previous years. By any yardstick, such an increase is alarming and reflects the explosion of sexual violence in our society.

So acute is the crisis in Dublin that the centre there received 10,000 genuine calls last year involving rape or sexual assault. Around half those complaints involved child abuse.

In rural areas, according to expert opinion, there is severe under-reporting of rape because people in small communities tend to be more reluctant about coming forward and reporting sexual abuse.

Another aspect of the problem giving cause for concern is the unfriendly face of the Irish legal system, which most victims find utterly discouraging. Indeed, many regard the trauma of the legal experience as being almost akin to the ordeal of rape itself.

Because of the adversarial nature of a system in which the alleged perpetrator is presumed innocent, the victim is often portrayed in court as the culprit. Only when a woman’s sexual history is dredged up does she become entitled to free legal aid in court.

Arguably, from the very outset, a victim should be entitled to such representation as a matter of course.

Furthermore, because of the inordinate delays which characterise the court service, perpetrators are sometimes not brought to book for up to three years after an alleged rape occurred. Such delays are intolerable, as rapists are often known to their victims.

Next month’s campaign aimed at highlighting the urgency of providing more and better facilities to deal with sexual assault and abuse in Ireland warrants widespread public support. Nothing justifies the crime of rape, and nothing should stop us from responding to it with the utmost efficiency and sensitivity.