Michael Clifford looks back at 2017

Minister for Children Katherine Zappone says she hopes that a proposed new study on sexual violence in Ireland will move forward.

Survivors of sexual violence are starting to feel more confident about coming forward, according to the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre.

The last ground breaking research was published in 2002 and did not include male victims or social media.

“The trouble is we have been trying to identify how best to combat sexual violence without modern data. It’s not even that it’s not up to date; it’s just antiquated.”

There were two separate prizes of €500,000 collected from the National Lottery office in Dublin today.

Almost €400,000 out of a nationwide total of more than €1.5m was paid into Kerry District Court poor boxes last year.

Joanne Hayes became a symbol of an Ireland on the cusp of change, as her ordeal acted as a lightning rod for women’s groups, writes Dan Buckley.

Dublin City Council is being urged to act on a report which says sexual harassment is a "significant threat" to women in public spaces.

The Dublin Rape Crisis Centre is beginning a 16-day campaign to help end violence against women and girls around the world.

THE Rape Crisis Centre has said the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) should meet the victims of clerical abuse in Cloyne to discuss his decision not to seek prosecution against the alleged serial paedophile in the 2008 Cloyne report.

A RAPE crisis charity has issued a set of tips which they hope can help prevent the upsurge of sexual assaults linked to better weather and outdoor events.

A SURGE of 45% in first-time callers to rape crisis support services last year was triggered by the release of two damning abuse reports.

BARNARDOS, the children’s charity, has had to close some of its waiting lists to new referrals until after Christmas because of pressure on services.

Were it not for their dedication and commitment to children, matched only by the anger and frustration of the voluntary organisations at the coalface of child protection in Ireland, the Ryan report might well be consigned to a convenient shelf where it would quietly gather dust.

FUNDING which was to be made available to counselling services for victims of sexual abuse in the aftermath of the Ryan Report has still not been allocated to support groups one year on from the damning report, it has emerged.

If Government promises were enough to resolve our problems, we would probably have no problems, because the current Government has never been short on promises.

RAPE crisis groups have called on people upset by the release of Larry Murphy to get help if they need it.

THE number of rape cases making it to court dropped by over a third last year because a growing number of victims are intimidated by the legal process, say rape crisis experts.

VICTIMS of physical violence and “emotional distress” — such as harassment and stalking — are legally entitled to give a victim impact statement in court.