Adult sexual violence victims ‘more likely to tell friend than relative’

By David Young, PA

Young adults who have experienced sexual violence are more likely to tell a friend than a family member, statistics show.

Two thirds of people aged 18-24 who have disclosed an experience of sexual violence as an adult have spoken to a friend first, compared with 13 per cent who told a relative first, according to figures from the Central Statistics Office (CSO).

More than a third of women (36 per cent) who did not disclose any experience of sexual violence as an adult kept it secret because they felt ashamed or embarrassed – more than twice the rate for men (15 per cent), the CSO data shows.

The figures released on Monday are from the CSO’s Sexual Violence Survey.

The results of the survey have been released in parts, with the latest data related to disclosure of experiences.

The study found that most people who have experienced sexual violence as a child or adult do not disclose it to the police.

Of those adults who disclosed to someone an experience of sexual violence as a child, only 12 per cent also disclosed it to the Garda or police in another jurisdiction.

Most adults who experienced sexual violence (79 per cent) did not use a support service, the CSO survey also found.

For adults who disclosed an experience of sexual violence as an adult, only 5 per cent went to the police.

When asked why this figure was so low, Justice Minister Helen McEntee said that it was down to a number of factors, but admitted that the justice system “is not a welcome place at the moment”.

“This particular piece of the survey really delves into what happened to them… over their lifetime and the actions that they took, and obviously if you’re looking at historical cases, it could be 30 or 40 years ago,” she told RTE Radio.

“It was a very, very different environment for people even thinking of coming forward.

“But even now, I think for a lot of people there is still an element of shame where there shouldn’t be, and it’s important that we talk about it, whether it’s here or more generally, in society, but secondly, that we make sure that the supports and the resources are there for people when they come forward.”

She added: “(The justice system) is not a welcome place at the moment, a lot of improvements have been made, particularly when it comes to rape, sexual assault, violent assaults of these kinds.

“It has not been a kind and warm and welcoming place and that’s not to say there aren’t people working in the system that do not provide a really positive experience for those who are coming forward in terms of the support that they provide.

“But we need to make sure that whether it’s someone going to the gardai, whether it’s going to a health professional or a legal professional, that they’re met with understanding, that they’re met with care, that they know they’ll be listened to, and that they will be supported along the way.

“So much of the reforms that I’m introducing at the moment are to do just that.”

Commenting on the results, Helen McGrath, statistician in the CSO’s Social Analysis Section, said: “When we refer to disclosure to someone or to others, it refers to having told one person or many persons or an organisation/group.

“The experiences referred to in this publication range across a variety of experiences up to and including those which result in the most serious violations of personal dignity.

“We appreciate that behind the data in today’s publication are a range of individual stories, which speak to the lived experience of those who have, and those who have not, experienced sexual violence.

“The publication today presents greater additional insight on the disclosure of sexual violence for those who have experienced it.”