A Dublin woman has told a jury she was raped in a city centre flat by an Albanian national who was a friend of a man with whom she had just started a relationship.

An Albanian man has been convicted by a Central Criminal Court jury of raping a Dublin woman who had just started a relationship with his friend.

The Dublin Rape Crisis Network is launching a new campaign for the Christmas period aimed at potential perpetrators.

The Rape Crisis Network is reporting a spike in calls to their service after a rapist in his 70s was freed on bail this week, having been convicted of abusing his daughter.

Fianna Fáil is set to introduce a Bill aimed at establishing a sentencing council, similar to the one in operation in Britain.

There have been calls for tougher sentences in cases of rape and sexual assault - after a 72-year-old man was bailed despite pleading guilty to the rape of his daughter over a nine-year period.

Rape survivor Fiona Doyle, who fought for 20 years to have her father jailed for a decade of childhood abuse, is pressing prosecutors to bring charges against her mother.

A 16-year-old boy who raped a 15-year-old girl at a teenage house party in Dublin last year has been sentenced to six years detention with the final three years suspended.

Teenagers have been warned to take extra care as almost 60,000 students celebrate their Junior Certificate results.

There has been an 18% increase in the number of first-time callers to the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre.

Junior Minister for Health Roisin Shortall has admitted today that there was "poor communication" between herself and the Minister for Health over the planned cuts to the Health Service.

Dublin football star Diarmuid Connolly has paid €5,000 to charities nominated by man whose eye socket he fractured during an unprovoked attack in a pub.

Tens of thousands of women will take to the streets of Dublin and Cork later this morning for the Flora women's mini marathon.

The family of Jill Meagher will be amongst those running to raise funds for the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre in the Flora Women's mini marathon on Monday.

The Dublin Rape Crisis Centre says there has been a 23% increase in the number of first-time callers to its helpline since 2010.

Over 4,000 victims of rape and sexual abuse (4,046) made contact with a 24 hour helpline for the first time last year.

Up to 16% of students have suffered an unwanted sexual experience at college or university, a study found.

Human rights campaigners today demanded an end to ineffective Government statements aimed at reducing the amount of women suffering domestic violence in Ireland.

One in five Irish women will fall victim to a sexual assault during their lifetime, it was revealed today.

An international poster exhibition highlighting violence against women worldwide is due to open in Dublin later today.