1 in 10 attending sexual assault treatment units attacked by multiple assailants
The latest annual report of the country's six sexual assault treatment units (SATUs) shows the proportion of cases where someone has been sexually assaulted by two or more individuals increased to 10 per cent in 2024 from nine per cent in 2023 and seven per cent in 2022.
It also revealed that the rate of use of weapons in incidents of sexual violence more than doubled to seven per cent last year with physical restraints being used in 36 per cent of all reported cases.
The report said the latest figures could suggest an escalation in the severity of injuries sustained in incidents of sexual assault as the number of people requiring referrals for injury follow-up care increased by a third to 21 – two per cent of all cases, Five individuals needed to be hospitalised due to their injuries last year.
The latest figures show 21 per cent of people who reported sexual violence expressed concern that they their drink may have been spiked while a further 17 per cent were unsure whether a drug-facilitated sexual assault had occurred.
They also reveal that the share of incidents where the perpetrator was described as a stranger also increased to 31 per cent last year from 28 per cent in 2023 and 26 per cent in 2022.
However, there was a fall in the rate of 'recent acquaintance' assaults by someone who the victim has met in the previous 24 hours which decreased by 4 percentage points to 11 per cent in 2024.
Overall, the report shows the number of people attending the HSE-funded SATUs fell by four per cent last year with a total of 1,021 people who had experienced sexual violence attending the six centres – down 41 on the previous year.
The largest SATU in Dublin recorded a 13 per cent decrease in attendances – down 57 compared with the previous year to 394 in 2024 while there was an 18 per cent decrease in numbers at the Galway centre – down 24 to 113.
The other four centres – Cork, Mullingar, Letterkenny and Waterford – all reported modest increases in the number of people using their services.
Approximately half of all people attending SATUs last year were aged under 25, while the average age of attendees was 28 years. The report revealed two per cent of individuals attending SATUs were aged under 14 years.
According to official figures, 91 per cent of people using SATU services in 2024 were female, while eight per cent were male and one per cent identified as another gender or none – a similar trend to recent years.
Approximately sven out of 10 people attending SATUs last year identified themselves as Irish. Individuals from 57 other nationalities also availed for SATU services with four per cent of all cases needing the assistance of a translator.
The report shows a third of all incidents of sexual violence reported at SATUs occurred in Dublin, while 83 per cent occurred within Ireland. A further 7.5 per cent took place in the rest of Europe.
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While weekend days of Friday, Saturday and Sunday continued to account for the largest proportion of incidents, their share decreased from 79 per cent in 2023 to 56 per cent last year.
The report reveals that 35 per cent of people attending a SATU last year did so less than 24 hours after their experience of sexual violence with another 25 per cent seeking assistance between 24 and 72 hours.
The overwhelming majority of incidents (82 per cent) occurred between 8pm and 8am. More than two-thirds occurred indoors with 22 per cent in the victim's home and 21 per cent in the assailant's home.
Despite some lack of facilities, the report showed that 95 per cent of people were seen within three hours of a request for a forensic clinical examination – the highest rate ever and ahead of the target of 90 per cent.
However, it also highlighted how a third of cases where there was a delay beyond three hours was due to a SATU being 'unavailable for use.'
SATU national clinical lead, Maeve Eogan, said in most cases this generally meant a unit was unavailable because another case was in progress. Another 24 per cent of delays were due to the unavailability of a forensic clinical examiner and 21 per cent due to the absence of SATU support staff.
'These findings highlight the need for additional forensic suites and sufficient staffing, particularly in high-demand units,' said Prof Eogan.
She added: 'It remains imperative that people can access responsive care in a timely fashion and that all aspects of society are aware of the prevalence and potential impacts of sexual violence, and the location and type of services available.'
Just over half of all individuals (52 per cent) attending a SATU last year opted for a forensic clinical examination which is available to anyone aged 14 years or over who wants to make a complaint to An Garda Síochána about experiencing sexual violence which has occurred within the previous seven days.
A quarter of people, who did not want to report the matter to gardaí, opted for a sexual health screen with no forensic samples taken while 13 per cent, who were undecided about notifying gardaí about what happened to them, chose a forensic clinical examination where forensic samples are securely stored for a period of up to 12 months.
The report also highlighted how SATU staff continued outreach activity last year including attendance at a number of concerts and festivals.
Prof Eogan said engagement and collaboration with communities was increasingly recognised as an important factor in creating awareness, reducing incidents, facilitating disclosure and provide a swift care response for those who have experienced sexual violence.
'Nobody ever 'wants' to attend a SATU and we never cease to be amazed by the strength that our service users display, despite the significance of the events they have experienced,' Prof Eogan remarked.
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