A NEW REPORT has revealed that 71% of victims of sexual violence do not report the incident to gardaí.

Meanwhile, 70% did not seek medical treatment following the experience and 59% did not seek counselling or support services.

The figures are from a survey conducted by Dublin Rape Crisis Centre on the prevalence and perception of sexual violence.

It was found that 20% of people still believe false aleggations are common.

Of those surveyed, 11% think that someone should not be believed unless there is a guilty verdict in court and 12% think that if someone doesn’t report an incident to the gardaí they should not be believed.

However, almost three in ten adults surveyed said they had been a victim of some form of sexual violence, with 5% reporting they have been raped – a lower number than the Central Statistics Office previously found, which the RCC put down to their survey methodology.

Furthermore, 45% of people report knowing someone who has experienced sexual violence.

The survey also points to a gender disparity, with prevalence of sexual assault nearly twice as high amongst women compared to men.

However, the public thinks additional supports need to be put in place for men, with 87% agreeing that society should do more to recognise the issue of male sexual violence.

A third of people surveyed said they were extremely concerned about the issue of rape or sexual violence.

Rachel Morrogh, CEO of Dublin Rape Crisis Centre said it’s encouraging to see that the public is concerned, but the figures also reveal “unsettling contradictions” in society.

“There is a marked gender gap in how safe from sexual violence people feel, with women feeling much less so than their male counterparts,” she said.

“In addition, small but significant cohorts believe false rape allegations are common, that rape and sexual violence is exaggerated by media, and say they would not believe a survivor unless they reported to police or had a guilty verdict in court.”

There are variations between genders around these views, but young men aged under 25 up to seven times more likely to hold victim-blaming views than older age groups.

“This mistrust of survivors is borne out in the findings that people who have experienced sexual violence are not reporting to gardaí or disclosing to others because they fear not being believed and public stigma,” Morrogh continued. 

“This confirms what Dublin Rape Crisis Centres hears from survivors regularly – that they have not shared their story because they thought they would not be believed.

She added that victim-blamig “is not a harmless act”, as it silences survivors and impacts justice.

“It is why most perpetrators face no consequence for the harm they have inflicted.”

She said the report highlights the need for greater access to specialised support services, trauma-informed justice processes, and continued public awareness about the realities of sexual violence.