Vol. 529 No. 1
1075 Ms Fitzgerald asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the action that will be taken to combat the increased number of rapes reported in the Garda annual report 2000, if he has liaised with the rape crisis centres to establish their views on this issue; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2338/01]
First, I should state that the most recent annual report of An Garda Síochána relates to 1999. As the House is aware there has been an increase in the number of reported rapes in recent years. This is, perhaps, due to a number of factors as I have previously outlined to the House. Among these factors are the higher incidence of rape in the present day, cases of rape which occurred in previous years being reported in the present day and, perhaps, an increased willingness on the part of victims to report rape which may be due to the availability of better services for victims. I will shortly be publishing a research project, commissioned by my Department and carried out by University College Cork in association with the Cork and Kerry Rape Crisis Centres, which examined why there are high attrition rates – i.e. the progressive reduction between the number of crimes committed and the number which end in conviction – in sexual assault cases. I believe that increased prosecutions for rape will act as a deterrent to this heinous crime and I will do my utmost to improve the system for prosecuting such cases.
As the Deputy will be aware, the Sex Offenders Bill, 2000, which is at present awaiting the second Report Stage in the Dáil, provides for separate legal representation for victims of rape and other serious sexual offences in particular circumstances. As the Deputy may be aware the network of Rape Crisis Centres and the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre are both represented on the National Steering Committee on Violence Against Women, which is chaired by my colleague, Deputy Mary Wallace, Minister of State at the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform. They are fully involved in the work of the committee, which is charged, inter alia, with the responsibility for providing a multi-agency, cohesive response to victims of violence. Through awareness campaigns the committee is urging victims to come forward and report incidents of violence, including rape and sexual assault. In 2001 funding from the Department of Health and Children for victim services and facilities has increased and this will, I have no doubt, benefit the range and level of services in all regions.
The Garda Síochána and, in particular, the Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Investigation Unit liaise with rape crisis centres throughout the country and encourage early reporting by victims who contact the centres. In addition, the Garda Síochána Research Unit at the Garda Training College, Templemore, has had a number of workshops with the rape crisis centres and other NGOs on reconciling the statistics on sexual offences produced by the various agencies involved so as to more accurately assess the levels of reported sexual crime.
