Vol. 541 No. 2
148 Mr. Callely asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if his attention has been drawn to concerns regarding the increase in the number of sex related crimes, sexual assault and date rape; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22225/01]
I am aware of the statistics with regard to the numbers of sex-related offences in recent years, as published in the annual reports of the Garda Síochána, the most recent of which relates to 1999.
An increase in the incidence of any form of crime is a cause for concern and particularly so with respect to sex related crimes. In this context, I recently commissioned and launched a research report entitled Attrition in Sexual Assault Cases in Ireland: A Qualitative Analysis, which describes victims' interaction with various parts of the criminal justice system.
The resulting recommendations have implications not only for a number of areas of that system but also relate to wider social, health, education and media issues. I can confirm that I have referred the report and its recommendations to the national steering committee on violence against women, which is chaired by my colleague, the Minister of State, Deputy Mary Wallace, for further consideration. I assure the Deputy that my Department will continue to keep the position in relation to the offences referred to by the Deputy under ongoing review.
