Dublin Rape Crisis needs Government to commit to support

Published: Tuesday, July 26, 2011

PRESS RELEASE

The Dublin Rape Crisis Centre will not be able to continue to deliver at the current rate of demand unless the government grant is realistically stabilised, according the Ellen O'Malley Dunlop, CEO of the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre. Speaking at the launch of the DRCC's Annual Report and Statistics 2010, Ms O'Malley Dunlop said that the Centre certainly could not continue to meet demand if the funding cuts which have taken place over the last 3 years were continued. The report shows that 52.35% of DRCC's clients sought counselling for childhood sexual abuse in 2010, an increase of 4.62% compared to 2009 and a 30% increase compared to 2008

Dublin Rape Crisis Centre 2010 Statistics:

- 11,618 calls were handled by the DRCC's National 24-hour Helpline in 2010.

- 9,141 were genuine*counselling calls (*when hoax, hang-up, silent and obscene calls are excluded.)

- 83% of callers were female and 17% of callers were male. (This compared to 18% male callers in 2009 and 14% in 2008)

- 3,382 calls were from first time callers. The impact of the Murphy report published in November 2009 was evident in the increase in first time callers to the Helpline in the first quarter of 2010. 979 first-time calls were received compared to 857 first-time calls in the same quarter of 2009, showing an increase of 14%.The first-time calls for the first quarter of 2010 amounted to 29% of all first-time calls to the Helpline in 2010.

- While the total number of first time calls in 2009 was higher due to the publication of the Ryan and Murphy reports, (N=4,188) the number of first time calls in 2010 (3,382) remained elevated compared to first time calls in 2008 (N=2,959) showing an increase in 2010 of 14.29% in comparison with 2008.

- 3,239 repeat calls were received.

- 41.91% of calls related to adult rape, an increase of 8.58% compared to 2009 statistics, when 38.33% of calls related to adult rape.

- 50.39% of calls related to adult sexual violence, including rape (41.91%), sexual assault ( 6.15%), sexual harassment (1.09%) and drug related rape (1.24%), an overall increase of 3.39% compared to 2009 statistics where 47% of calls related to adult sexual violence.

- 49.61% of calls related to childhood sexual abuse, including ritual abuse and suspected abuse, compared to 53% in 2009 and 45% in 2008.

- The ratio of calls relating to CSA and adult sexual violence was almost 50:50 in 2010, compared to 53:47 in 09 and 45:55 in 2008

- 294 victims of rape and sexual assault were accompanied by DRCC's trained volunteers at the Sexual Assault Treatment Unit in the Rotunda Hospital, an increase of 2.79 % on 2009 figures (N=286) and of 3.52% compared to 2008 figures (N=284).

- There was a significant increase in the number of non-Irish nationals accessing the helpline in 2010. While the majority (93.64%) of callers were of Irish nationality, 6.36% of calls were from non-Irish nationals, compared to just under 1% in 2009, from the E.U. ( 2.01%) U.K. (1.83%) Africa (1.34%), US and Canada (0.47), Asia (0.47%), Latin America ( 0.15%) , Russia (0.06%), and Australia (0.03%).

 "There has been an increase of 4.63% in clients seeking therapy for childhood sexual abuse in 2010," said Ms O'Malley-Dunlop.. This reflects the impact of the publication of the Ryan and Murphy Reports in 2009. Since 2003 the number of clients seeking therapy for child sexual abuse has increased by 30%. While these statistics are shocking, it is a testament to the excellent work of the centre that so many victims and survivors are confident of availing of the services; from support, to counselling, to court and sexual assault treatment unit accompaniment, to legal advice and information.

While 52.35% of the clients are victims of childhood sexual abuse, the other 47.65% are victims of recent and past rape and adult sexual violence. This tells a very disturbing story about our present Irish society. Many of the rapes and sexual assaults perpetrated on both men and women, are accompanied by additional types of violence including physical violence, intimidation and psychological abuse.

The DRCC needs the continued commitment and support of Government to ensure that it is able to deliver its much needed services. The professional and caring services are delivered by 9 full time and 25 part time staff and a cohort of 70 trained volunteers. The centre operates the National 24 hour helpline (1800 77 88 88) and is open 6 days a week. This is a service that is without doubt value for money."

Introducing the report, the DRCC's chairperson, Eibhlin Byrne, said, "This report serves as a stark reminder to all, of the prevalence of physical and sexual violence in our society. Of those new therapeutic clients represented in this report (where the reporting status was known) only 30.34% were reported to Gardai and only 6.17% were tried. For each person having the courage to seek support and a start towards recovery there are very many more suffering in that most awful of isolations. The statistics presented by Dublin Rape Crisis Centre are the tip of a very deep iceberg and it is incumbent on all who read this report to make a genuine commitment to creating a culture where such violations are not tolerated. Last week An Taoiseach began a debate about what it is to be a 21st century Republic. If we truly wish to respect the courage of those attending the DRCC and value the work done there, if we have heard the pain of 9,000+ counselling calls, then we clearly need to articulate our rejection of sexual violence. Above all we need to lift the veil of indifference from a society inured to the suffering of so many of its citizens."

Counselling and Psychotherapy Services

Client profile

549 clients were seen for crisis counselling and psychotherapy. Of these 12 .75 % were men and 87.25% were women.
79.15% of clients resided in the greater Dublin area, while 20.85% resided in 14 other counties.
52.35% of clients were dealing with childhood sexual abuse (CSA), an increase of 4.62% compared to 2009 figures.

This was the highest percentage of clients attending for CSA in eight years, clearly reflecting the impact of the Murphy and Ryan reports on the counselling service in 2010. However, an analysis of our statistics shows a steady increase year on year since 2003, with an over all increase of 30% in the number of clients attending for CSA between 2003 and 2010.

Overall, 47.75 % of clients attended for counselling in relation to adult rape ( 38.57%)
sexual assault (7.94%), sexual harassment (0.65%) and drug rape (0.49%).

In 2003, the ratio of clients dealing with CSA versus adult sexual violence was 35% CSA and 65% adult sexual violence. In 2009, the ratio was 47.73% CSA versus 52.27% adult sexual violence. In 2010 it was 52.35% CSA versus 47.65% adult sexual violence. The impact of the increased disclosure of sexual abuse over this period is evident, in particular the impact of the Ryan and Murphy Reports of 2009 on the 2010 therapy figures for CSA.

Almost one third (31.66%) of clients reported experiencing other types of violence along with adult rape or childhood abuse. Of these clients, 46.2% had been abused as children and 53.8% had experienced sexual violence as an adult.

Physical violence, psychological abuse and intimidation accounted for 86.76% of the additional violence reported by clients who had experienced adult rape/sexual assault and 83.2% of the additional violence experienced by victims of childhood sexual abuse.

Service delivery

- DRCC's therapists offered 5007 sessions in Leeson Street and four Outreach services in 2010.

- 3,790 individual appointments were delivered, a take-up rate of 75.69%

- Including 391 group therapy hours, a total of 4,181 individual and group client hours were delivered in 2010.

- The DRCC has shown its commitment to outreaching to local communities, through the establishment of its outreach services in Coolock, the Dochas Women's Prison and Tallaght. 16.8% came from the counties accessible to outreach services in Coolock and Tallaght-Meath, Wicklow and Louth, while 1.82% came from Laois, Cavan and Monaghan.

- In Coolock services were offered by four therapists over three days a week and 467 individual sessions were delivered. This represents an increase of 5.66% compared to 2009 figures ( N=442)

- In Tallaght two therapists working on Saturdays offered 238 sessions, of which 168 were fulfilled. The number of appointments delivered to clients in Tallaght and the adjoining counties has almost trebled since the service opened in 2007.

- In 2005 the DRCC started a counselling service in the Dochas Centre, a medium security prison unit located in Mountjoy. A half day counselling service is offered once a week by one of our experienced therapists. In 2010, 104 sessions were completed, an increase of 37% when compared to 2008 figures.

 - A pilot project to establish a DRCC outreach for people stabilised on methadone, in partnership with Tallaght Rehabilitation Project (TRP), was opened in the summer of 2009. In 2010, 59 appointments were offered and 39 were delivered, a take-up rate of 66%.

Reporting to the Gardai

Statistics provided in this section relate to 289 clients who commenced therapy in the DRCC in 2009, where the reporting status was known. It is worth noting that reporting and convictions in this context refer to clients seen by our service in the year 2009, although the reports and convictions have occurred in previous years.

- Of the 267 cases where the reporting status was known, 81 cases were reported to the Gardai, a reporting rate of 30.34%

- 44.06 % of total rape and sexual assault cases were reported.

- 14.52 % of the total childhood sexual abuse cases were reported

- Of the 81 cases reported to the Gardai, 5 cases (6.17%) were tried, resulting in 4 convictions or guilty pleas, and 1 acquittal.

Ellen O'Malley-Dunlop concluded: "The continued support of these services will demonstrate this Government's genuine commitment to implementing its promise to deliver on the recommendations of the Ryan Report and the many other excellent recommendations from previous reports and research, whose revelations have shocked this country and its citizens to its core."