There is still a strong demand for services for victims of sexual violence, according to the latest report from the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre.

The CEO of the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre believes more research needs to be done in the area of jury composition for rape and sexual assault trials.

THE inconsistency of judicial sentencing is again put under the spotlight by contrasting sentences handed down this week for rape, one of the most heinous of all crimes.

ADULT child abuse victims have been contacting crisis helplines in record numbers following Wednesday night’s Prime Time exposé on RTÉ.

VICTIMS of paedophile swimming coach Derry O’Rourke were left in anger and despair yesterday as their abuser walked free from jail with no obligation to notify gardaí of his whereabouts for the next seven days.

RAPE victims being taken to sexual assault treatment units in Dublin, Cork and Donegal are finding there is no doctor available to examine them when they arrive.

TEENAGERS consulted about possible changes to the age of sexual consent have told the Government they want the law on the subject to protect them rather than allow them unrestricted freedom.

WITH two totally unrelated strokes of a pen, the Government has managed to do what it has failed abjectly to do in the past decade, and that is to put domestic violence seriously on the political agenda.

THE Fianna Fáil/Pegressive Democrat coalition has presided over many a fiasco, but its treatment of victims of sexual assault and violence is particularly shameful.

GARDAÍ have formally started notifying victims of convicted sex abuser Derry O’Rourke of his release from prison tomorrow — even though many victims already learned of his release through the media over the weekend.

THE imminent release of convicted sex offender Derry O’Rourke has prompted outrage after victims of the former swimming coach said they had not been informed he would be walking free this week.

WOMEN’S groups have expressed disappointment at the limited remit of a long-awaited domestic violence office, details of which were announced yesterday.

THROUGHOUT the Christmas period cinema screens will carry a hard-hitting ad campaign speaking directly to rape victims.

DESPITE the fact that rape and violence against women are on the increase in Ireland, three of the country’s four sexual assault treatment units are in danger of closing due to lack of Government funding.

THE State is inflicting “mental torture” on rape victims due to widespread delays in bringing cases to court, support groups have warned.

IT is appalling that victims of sexual abuse are waiting up to two years before receiving full-time counselling support from a State scheme set up to help people recover after their traumatic experience.

FURTHER evidence of the funding crisis hitting services for rape and abuse victims has emerged with the Rape Crisis Network Ireland (RCNI) revealing its members have less than two-thirds the budget they need to survive.

JUST 95 out of 335 people who sought counselling at the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre (DRCC) reported the crime to gardaí.

There were 16,331 calls made to the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre in 2005, according to the centre’s annual report published yesterday.

THE Broadcasting Complaints Commission received more than 25 phone complaints before lunchtime yesterday regarding Friday’s Late Late Show featuring convicted American paedophile Jake Goldenflame.