RAPE and sexual assault offences are on the rise but Ireland has the highest number of criminal cases collapsing before they reach the courts, it emerged yesterday.

The number of rape prosecutions in Irish courts halved in the past six years, despite evidence that rape is on the increase. We are clearly losing that battle.

THE Director of Public Prosecutions should explain why he did not pursue a case against a man who allegedly raped and imprisoned his stepdaughter over a 10-year period, it has been claimed.

FOR more than 30 years survivors of clerical sex abuse have been attending rape crisis centres the length and breadth of Ireland.

ABUSE victim support services will join forces this week to respond to the massive outpouring expected from the publication of the Dublin Archdiocese report.

A RAPE crisis centre chief has expressed concern over the ease of access to online pornographic images after a public servant downloaded over 15,000 images and files of naked children.

MORE than 2,531 people rang the national helpline for rape and sexual abuse during December and January last year – a 20% increase on the previous year, the Head of the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre has said.

BISHOPS criticised in the Pope’s pastoral letter could come under renewed pressure to resign after the message to Irish Catholics sparked anger among some victims’ groups.

JUSTICE is not being done for women in cases where low sentences are being handed down to convicted sex abusers, the head of the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre has warned.

LEADING support group One in Four has urged people to be on alert for possible depression in sex abuse survivors during the Dublin Diocese report furore, after two suicides were confirmed in the wake of the Ryan Report revelations.

SUPPORT agencies are urging survivors of sexual abuse to reach out for help when the Dublin Archdiocese Report is published.

THE Dublin Rape Crisis Centre (DRCC) experienced an increase of 16% in calls to the its national 24-hour helpline for victims of rape and sexual abuse in the first six months of 2009.

SURVIVORS of clerical sex abuse and the One in Four support group are due to meet with Archbishop of Dublin Diarmuid Martin tomorrow to discuss the ongoing fallout from the bishops’ meeting with the Pope in the Vatican.

THERE was a broad welcome for the proposed constitutional amendment enshrining the rights of the child yesterday.

A SUPPORT group for victims of sexual abuse has said it will “very carefully consider” whether to recommend that victims take a case following “highly insensitive” reporting of a high-profile abuse case.

MORE than 200 women attended Ireland’s main sex assault treatment unit in the first eight months of this year — meaning an attack was reported almost every day during the period.

MORE THAN 4,000 disillusioned Catholics have used an Irish website to resign from the Church.

AGENCIES providing support services for victims of abuse are dealing with a new wave of anguish caused by revelations thrown up by the latest clerical abuse probe.

JUDGES are allowing rape victims be questioned in court about their sexual history in nearly three in four trials, leading to growing concern about the prejudicing of cases, according to research.

WOMEN suffering domestic violence are being forced to wait more than two months to get a court hearing to try and get an order barring an abusive partner from the home.