Rising rates of sexually motivated crimes in Ireland beckons urgent attention

Recent statistics spotlight Ireland, as a member-state of the European Union, in having a concerningly high number of reported sexual violence cases.

A woman being harassed by two men on the street Photo By - Pexels (https://www.pexels.com/search/harassment/)

The pervasiveness of sexual violence and crimes against women have long plagued society. The sensitive nature of the crimes and the horrifying effects of it cast a dark and long shadow on people. Yet, even with rising and rapidly developing justice systems and safety services, the rate of sex-related criminalities are still as prevalent as ever. While in many contexts, the term or concept of “sexual violence” can take up various connotations, the most widely accepted definition is any kind of unsolicited sexual activity, whether physical or non-physical or through words or actions, done without consent. This definition is also adopted by the law of Ireland.

In a 2022 survey on sexual violence by the Central Statistics Office Ireland, it was quantitated that 50% of young adults, i.e. 18- to 24-year-olds, experienced sexual harassment in the last 12 months and 1 out of 10 women experience non-consensual sexual intercourse or rape.

Data Source – Central Statistics Office Ireland (CSO) https://data.cso.ie/ 

The data visualized above provides a startling insight into the experiences of women subjected to sexual violence. Over half the women surveyed reported being the victim of unwanted sexual touches. 25% testified to the violence of rape and attempted rape.

SEXUAL HARASSMENT

The use of the word “sexual non-contact” can also be redefined as sexual harassment, wherein an individual is subjected to behaviours or acts that leaves one feeling offended or humiliated, like explicit remarks, indecent exposure, leaking or being forced to witness private sexual media, inappropriate language and advances, or stalking.

The survey also puts the spotlight on locations or situations in which women are most often harassed. 58% of women reported being harassed sexually in public places like the park or pubs, while 2 out of 10 women spoke of harassment at their place of employment. In almost all these situations, the perpetrators have been identified to be male.

STALKING

Another major facet of sexual non-contact is “stalking with a fear of sexual violence”, as labelled by the CSO. The figures in this part of the research are shocking, with the maximum number of victims (30%) identifying the stalker to be an unknown person and above 50% testifying that the stalker is someone known to them, most likely a friend or acquaintance or (ex)partner.

IRELAND AND EUROPE

When viewing the statistics in comparison with Ireland’s EU counterparts, the country is placed 8th in terms of the rates of reported sexual crimes.

https://datawrapper.dwcdn.net/vjGjQ/2/

As seen in the map above, Sweden holds the highest number of police-recorded sexually violent offences with approximately 200 people in 100,000 inhabitants confirming at least one such encounter. While Ireland, in comparison, tallies a slightly lower number (approx. 63/100,000), there is still a large gap with the other member states.

It is important to note when going through the above information and the available data, that the surveys were conducted on a random sample from the overall population.

Furthermore, it must also be highlighted that, due to some persisting taboo around rape and other such sexual offences, many women that face such harrowing confrontations do not come forward to report the fact. Indeed, CSO reported that 36% of women who experienced a sexual crime did not report it to anyone, neither a friend nor the police, out of embarrassment and shame or for fear of being ostracized by the larger community.

The data outlined makes a loud statement – that there is an urgent and inarguable need for reform. The safety of women must be prioritized in the criminal justice system and efforts must be taken to raise awareness regarding the devastating outcomes of sexually violent crimes or harassments. Not only will this enable the public to be sufficiently on guard, but it will also aid in reducing the taboo around the occurrences, empowering women to speak up and drive the perpetrators to justice.

If you or anyone you know is facing dangers of sexual violence or would like to seek help and counselling, please do not hesitate to contact Dublin Rape Crisis Centre.