20-07-2025
Availability of porn to kids being linked to surge of sex attacks across country
The widespread availability of pornography to children is being linked to a surge of sex attacks across the country.
New figures released last week showed there are now 800 sex offenders behind bars in Ireland, up 64 per cent in three years. In the 10-year period between 2011 and 2021 the number of sexual offences recorded increased from 1,958 to 3,433 – a huge rise of 75 per cent.
The number of rapes increased from 447 to 983 during that time. The number of women who have been raped in Ireland is now almost treble the rate in the EU.
The average number of women reporting rape in Ireland in 2022 stood at 34 per 100,000 women. This is significantly higher than the 12 per 100,000 across six European Union states with comparable statistics.
But domestic violence is also out of control. In 2014 there were 14,264 cases where domestic violence was considered a motive recorded on the Garda Pulse System and by 2023 this had risen to 46,439.
The figure for domestic abuse in the first quarter of 2024 was nearly the same as that for the whole year of 2014.
The leader of Aontú Peadar Toibin said: 'These are shocking figures. The number of women we have being raped in Ireland is almost treble the rate of the EU.
'Ireland is becoming a more violent place for women. The rates of domestic violence, sexual violence and rape are all increasing.
'I do not believe the State even recognises what is happening at the moment. The perpetrators of these crimes are getting younger and younger.' Aontu leader Peadar Toibin
He revealed that both Children at Risk in Ireland and CRAI, a specialist and professional therapy service for children, found that child-on-child abuse has increased by 44 per cent in the past two years.
Deputy Toibin stated: 'The culture of the country is radically changing. That has to be recognised. The criminal justice system is not being used to shut down the perpetrators of these crimes.
'Today eight and nine-year-olds are accessing explicit hardcore materials that would have been illegal for viewing by adults just a generation ago. Research at the School of Psychology in the University of Galway has shown that almost 60 per cent of teenage boys in the State had consumed hardcore pornography before the age of 13.
'Porn has become so easily accessible that many parents find it virtually impossible to exercise control over what their children consume.'
The Meath West TD spoke to a parent recently who told him that over Christmas their 10--year-old was on the iPad which they checked.
There were two searches. The first search was about Santa Claus and the second was a violent display of oral sex. He added: 'This is the situation for young children. Deputy Toibin is now demanding the Government bring in a new law to ban the provision of hardcore violent porn to young children (Image: Getty)
'There is no doubt the repeated consumption of violent scenes is changing the nature of young boys and young men in relation to relationships.
'There is an ocean of evidence pointing in that direction. The Children Ombudsman in England has written extensively about how this is a significant cause of sexual violence.
'We have seen high-profile cases in this country such as the case of Ana Kriegel [murdered in 2018]. It was a heartbreaking shocking case where the perpetrators – young boys – had accessed horrific violence on their phones.'
Deputy Toibin is now demanding the Government bring in a new law to ban the provision of hardcore violent porn to young children. He tried to introduce such a Bill himself before but got nowhere.
He said: 'The Government has enough cop on to ban the advertisement of junk food to kids but it does not have enough cop on to ban the provision of hardcore, violent porn to those same young boys.'
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