THERE WAS A surge in the number of male victims reporting historical sexual offences to gardaí last year, with some 645 men coming forward to report offences allegedly committed against them more than ten years before.

That’s according to figures released today by the Central Statistics Office. The figures are in relation to recorded crime victims that presented in 2024 and suspected offenders in 2023.

The number of recorded male victims of crime incidents of sexual offences rose by 303 – or 54% – to 869 victims between 2023 and 2024, the data outlined. 

The number of female victims increased marginally from 2,387 in 2023 to 2,419 in 2024. Females remained the main victims of recorded crime incidents of sexual offences, accounting for three out of every four victims in 2024. 

Central Statistics Office Central Statistics Office

The Central Statistics Office (CSO) noted that there is often a separation in time between when a crime as committed and when it is reported to gardaí, which is particularly common for victims of sexual offences. 

Last year, three in ten of the 3,288 recorded victims of sexual offences reported the incident more than ten years after it occurred. In 2023, there were 646 victims who did so. In 2024, there were 971.

The number of recorded male victims of historic crime incidents of sexual offences was 333 in 2023, increasing to 645 in 2024. The surge in reporting of historic offences accounted for much of the overall increase of male victims reporting sexual offences last year.

Half of recorded victims of crime incidents of sexual offences were aged under 18 at the time of occurrence, the data said.

In 2024, the figure of 645 male victims accounted for 47% of all reported victims of historic sexual offences. This was up from 32% in 2023 and 30% in 2022. Female victims represented 53% of reported victims of these crimes in 204, down from 68% in 2023 and 70% in 2022.

If you have been affected by anything in this story, please contact One in Four by e-mailing info@oneinfour.ie or calling 01 66 24070; the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre’s freephone 24-Hour National Helpline can be reached by calling 1800 77 8888