Information on sexual violence

In this section you will find information about sexual violence in Ireland, including definitions, prevalence and disclosure.  

This section is divided into a number of different pages: 

• Forms of sexual violence
• Prevalence of sexual violence
• Disclosure of sexual violence
• Sexual offending (data on sexual crimes)
• Perpetration of sexual violence

What is sexual violence? 

Dublin Rape Crisis Centre defines sexual violence as any kind of unwanted sexual activity or contact, whether physical or non-physical. This includes words or actions of a sexual nature forced upon a person without their consent. 

In Ireland, many types of sexual violence are defined in criminal law as sexual offences, such as rape, sexual assault or harmful communications including non-consensual sexual image sharing, and have specific penalties attached to them. Sexual harassment in the workplace is covered by employment law. However, not all forms of sexually violent behaviours or acts are specifically criminalised or prohibited by law.  

Even if something is not outlawed, it may still be harmful and negatively impact those affected.  Dublin Rape Crisis Centre recognises that sexual violence, in any form, is impactful and should not be tolerated. A central component of any sexually violent act is the absence of consent (for more information, see the We~Consent campaign). 

Where is the data from? 

The data reproduced here is drawn from a number of sources. The main one is the Central Statistics Office's Sexual Violence Survey, conducted in 2022 and published in 2023. We also include data from: 

• CSO publications on crime recorded in An Garda Siochana's Pulse system, 

• Annual reports of the Director of Public Prosecutions, 

• Annual reports of Sexual Assault Treatment Units, 

• Dublin Rape Crisis Centre annual reports & statistics. 

We welcome any constructive comments or suggestions on the data presented and hope you will find it useful in understanding the scope and impact of sexual violence in Ireland. 

Note: We provide this data for information purposes only. 

What is a SATU? 

A Sexual Assault Treatment Unit is a safe place where victims and survivors of rape or sexual assault can go to  receive specialist medical care and treatment and to have forensic evidence taken. 

There are six SATUs around the country, located in Letterkenny, Galway, Cork, Waterford, Dublin and Mullingar, offering free and specialist support 24/7. (The Mid-West Forensic Medical Examination Service is based in Limerick and is accessible outside normal office hours and over the weekend by Garda referral). Each unit is staffed by trained doctors and nurses.  

Patients who attend a SATU have a number of options available to them. If they choose to report the incident to the police, they can receive medical care plus a forensic medical examination to collect evidence, map injuries and so on, with Gardai attending to assist before and after the process. If they decide not to report the incident at this point, but may decide to do so in future, they can have a forensic medical examination with evidence collected and stored securely pending a future report to police. Finally, a person may choose not to have a forensic examination and just have a ‘health check’ which includes screening and treatment for sexually transmitted infections, and treatment for any injuries. 

You can find out more about the SATUs on the HSE website or on our Finding Your Way after Sexual Violence guide.