Guidance

Ireland: information for victims of rape and sexual assault

Published 16 February 2023

If you’ve been sexually assaulted it’s important to remember that it was not your fault. Rape and sexual assault is always wrong – no matter who commits it or where it happens. It is traumatic and it can affect you both physically and emotionally. Do not be afraid to get help.

For information on support available in the UK, see rape and sexual assault: returning to the UK.

First steps

It is your choice about what you do next, but this information may help you in coming to a decision. The most important thing is to make sure that you are as safe as you can be. You can:

• contact the international emergency number on +353 112 or 999
• contact your tour operator if you are travelling with one
• contact your nearest British embassy, high commission or consulate. Embassy staff will be empathetic, non-judgmental and can provide information on local police and medical procedures. Anything you tell them will be treated in the strictest confidence. They can contact your family or friends for you if you wish

If you want to report the incident to the police in Ireland

An Garda Síochana (Gardaí), more commonly called the gardaí or ‘the Guards, is the name for the national police service of Ireland.

The British Embassy in Dublin will be able to help you. This includes helping you to make arrangements to contact your insurance company, your family, arrange travel back to the UK and/or provide you with information on local support on return to UK. We can provide you with a lists of medical facilities and lawyers in Ireland.

If you have a tour operator, they should be able to arrange for someone to support you. If you are in an area where there is a British embassy or consulate, they will try to send a consular officer to support you, where timing and location allow. You will always be able to speak to trained consular staff on the telephone 24/7.

If you approach the police directly, you can also ask them to inform the British Embassy Dublin on +353 1 2053700 and they can offer you consular support.

If you choose to report the crime, try to do so as soon as possible, so forensic evidence can be retained.

Washing yourself or your clothes may make it difficult for the police to obtain forensic evidence. If you change your clothes, think about taking those you were wearing to the police. You may wish to preserve evidence by retaining items such as condoms, toothbrushes, or texts.

Tell the police if you think you have been drugged. You should ask for a copy of the police report.

Minors who are victims of rape or sexual assault

A minor is a person under 18 years old.

There is expert help available for children who have been subject to sexual violence, for example organisations such as CARI.

The police/gardaí will video-record interviews with minors who report rape and/or sexual assault. These interviews are usually carried out by gardaí with specialist training. The recorded interview of the child may be admitted as evidence in criminal proceedings and the child can be asked questions in cross-examination. This is done by a live television link, so that the child does not have to come into court and can give evidence from a location outside the courtroom.

A parent of a minor can accompany their child when they are making a statement to the gardaí. However it may be the case that an older child, for example, a teenager, may not want their parent in the room when the details of the incident are being discussed. A parent may be to asked to leave the child with the interviewer while they ask questions on camera.

A minor may also give their evidence with the help of a specially-trained intermediary appointed by the court.

If you do not want to report the crime in Ireland

The British Embassy in Dublin will be able to help you. This includes helping you to make arrangements to contact your insurance company, your family, arrange travel back to the UK and/or provide you with information on local support on return to UK. We can provide a list of medical facilities and list of lawyers in Ireland.

If you have a tour operator, they should be able to arrange for someone to support you. If you are in an area where there is a British embassy or consulate, we will try to send a consular officer to support you, where timing and location allow. You will always be able to speak to trained consular staff on the telephone 24/7.

You can go to any hospital to receive treatment.

You can go to the Sexual Assault and Treatment Unit (SATU) closest to you for medical care, if you do not wish to report the crime. The SATU is a dedicated unit staffed with forensic nurses and doctors who have been trained to care for people who have been sexually assaulted.

Medical professionals at SATU will examine you. This may include assessing, treating and documenting your injuries, giving medication to protect you against sexually transmitted infections (STIs), and providing referrals for any other support you may need.

If you need time to decide whether to report the assault, the SATU unit can store the evidence for up to 1 year and the gardaí/police will not be present.

You can also contact your nearest Rape Crisis Centre and it will offer non-judgmental support and information. Their services are for women and men.

If you want to report the incident to the police in the UK

The support available to you, and your access to justice may vary according to where you report the crime. In many countries, you need to report the crime before you leave the country, if you want it to be investigated and police to obtain important evidence.

If you are staying in the country where the crime took place, you should report the crime in that country. If you are a British national and you need help to report the crime, you can contact the nearest British embassy, high commission or consulate, or the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office in London.

If you do not report the crime in the country where it happened and you return to the UK, you can still report the matter to your local UK police.

The UK police should send the information you provide to the country where the crime happened. However, it is for foreign police forces to decide whether to investigate a crime in their jurisdiction and they may not take action.

You can report the crime to the UK police even if you are not seeking an investigation abroad. The UK police can offer you access to victim support in the UK. They may still send some details of the crime to police in the country where it happened, to protect vulnerable people, or to stop more crimes being committed.

Reporting the crime in Ireland: next steps

Gardaí/police in Ireland are trained to investigate in a compassionate, sensitive and professional way. You can request that the garda and doctor allocated to your investigation is male or female.

You will need to provide a formal witness statement to the gardaí. They will also speak to any other witnesses who may have information in relation to the alleged offence. The gardaí may need to take more than one statement from you during the investigation, so you may need to return at a later date.

The gardaí will give you details of the investigating garda and the ‘PULSE’ incident number. They will update you on progress of your investigation. If you have any questions, you can contact the investigating garda at any stage.

After the gardaí have completed their investigation, they will forward their file to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), who will decide whether or not to prosecute.

The medical examination

If the rape or sexual assault happened recently, the gardaí will take you to the nearest Sexual Assault and Treatment Unit (SATU) to gather forensic evidence.

Sexual Assault Treatment Units (SATUs)

The Sexual Assault Treatment Units (SATUs) provide specialist care for people who have recently been sexually assaulted or raped. Their team includes an experienced nurse, midwife or doctor who is trained as a forensic examiner and support staff, including nurses, midwives or care assistants.

SATUs respond to requests from police/gardaí to support the legal process. They also provide services for people who do not wish to report the incident to the police/gardaí. You will not be charged a fee for receiving any SATU services or follow up appointments.

SATU services can be accessed by contacting the SATU nearest you or by calling the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre helpline, DRCC National Helpline 1800 778888 (open 24 hours daily).

Medical professionals will examine you internally (to obtain evidence of a sexual act) and externally (to obtain evidence of force or violence). You may also be given DNA tests and tested for STDs.

Find your nearest SATU.

Treatment

If you attend the SATU, staff will talk you through the services they can provide, including:

• medication to prevent HIV (PEP), which needs to be taken within 72 hours of the incident to be effective. The NHS may be able to commence or continue the 28 day treatment on return to the UK
• emergency contraception to prevent a pregnancy, if necessary
• antibiotics to prevent the risk of STIs
• vaccines to prevent Hepatitis B
• minor wound care management

A Dublin Rape Crisis Centre support person will be present in the SATU to provide you with psychological and emotional support. They will also give you information on other services available in the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre.

If you have had medication administered in Ireland, you should keep the label or make a note of the name of the medication, so that you can let your local health provider know when you return home.

Police investigations in Ireland: what to expect

The gardaí investigation will include interviewing potential witnesses and obtaining physical evidence, such as CCTV, where applicable. If you had a medical examination at a SATU, the gardaí will obtain the forensic evidence collected from that.

The gardaí may also obtain your medical records from your GP or other medical service that you attended after the assault. The gardaí will take statements from witnesses (where applicable) including medical professionals, for example, your GP or hospital staff.

If you identify the perpetrator by name in your statement, gardaí will aim to arrest the person for questioning. Gardaí may also take forensic evidence from the accused person for their investigation.

The suspect will usually be questioned and then released until a decision is made on the prosecution of the case. When a decision is made to take a prosecution, the gardaí charge the accused person. The accused person is then usually taken before the District Court and the judge decides on bail. The attacker will not usually be taken into custody (held in prison) until the trial.

The investigation and decision-making process usually takes months. You have a right to be told the name, telephone number and station of the investigating garda and to be kept informed of the progress of the case. This includes whether a suspect is charged, any charges, the bail position, and the date and time of any court hearing(s).

If you decide to withdraw your complaint, the gardaí will ask you to sign a document confirming that you have chosen to do so. If you withdraw your complaint at this stage, it will be more difficult for a prosecution to take place if you change your mind later.

If you are a minor, the DPP may decide that there is a public interest in continuing with the prosecution, even if you stated that you not want to proceed with the complaint. The matter may proceed to court on the basis of your statement to the gardaí.

Court procedures: what to expect

If the case proceeds to trial, the Courts Service (Victim Support) or a rape crisis support worker can arrange for you to visit the courtroom in advance of the trial. Rape Crisis Centre staff or volunteers can accompany you if you wish.

Every case will start in the District Court. An accused person is required to appear before this court so that the Book of Evidence can be formally served on them by the gardaí in serious cases.

The District Court then sends the majority of rape or sexual assault offences to a higher court:

• the Central Criminal Court normally deals with rape cases
• the Circuit Criminal Court normally deals with other sexual offences including sexual assault

The Office of the DPP and the investigating gardaí can organise a pre-trial meeting with you and the prosecution legal team. During this meeting they explain to you what is going to happen in court. You can ask questions about the trial procedure, but you’re not allowed to discuss the evidence that you will give at the trial.

The gardaí pay your expenses, which can include the cost of travelling to the location of the court, meals and accommodation in some cases. Contact the garda investigating your case to discuss expenses. If you experience any problems you can contact the local garda Superintendent directly or get advice from the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre.

Hiring a lawyer

As a victim of rape or sexual assault, you are a ‘witness’ (for the state) during criminal proceedings - this means you are not allowed your own lawyer to represent you. The state will have a lawyer acting on its behalf during the prosecution.

You are only allowed a lawyer during the trial in very limited circumstances. Read the Legal aid section for more information.

Dublin Rape Crisis Centre (DRCC) can offer specialist advice on legal process, and a trained support person can accompany you to court and stay with you while you give evidence.

Communication

After the gardaí have completed their investigation, they will forward a file to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) who will decide whether to prosecute. If the DPP decides not to prosecute they will inform the investigating garda, who will then inform you.

If the DPP decides to proceed with the case, they will inform the investigating garda who will inform you. If the accused person pleads guilty the case will not proceed to trial and a date will be given for sentence.

If the accused person pleads not guilty a date will be set for the trial, and the investigating garda will let you know when and where the trial will take place and give you your witness summons.

The Director of Public Prosecutions will offer you a pre-trial meeting in the Court before the trial date, where the DPP’s barrister and solicitor explains what will happen in court. Because you are a witness in the trial process, the solicitor and barrister cannot discuss evidence or testimony with you, but can only answer questions about what will take place in court.

Legal aid

You are permitted to have a lawyer during the trial in limited cases, including:

• if the judge allows questions on your previous sexual history. In this case, you will be able to discuss with the lawyer appointed to represent you for this part of the trial, before you give any testimony related to your sexual history
• if you received counselling following the assault, and you object to the release of your counselling notes for use in the trial. At a hearing the judge will examine your records and decide if there is any information relevant to the trial, that can be released to the defence

In either of these circumstances, the Legal Aid Board (telephone 1890 615 2000) or individual Law Centres will provide you with a lawyer free of charge. The Legal Aid Board will provide this advice as soon as possible.

You can apply for this after you have reported the incident to the gardaí, and criminal proceedings have started.

You can also use free legal advice clinics provided by FLAC (Free Legal Advice Clinics) nationwide.

Compensation

You may be able to claim compensation through either:

• the Criminal Injuries Compensation Tribunal
• the courts in a civil claim

The Criminal Injuries Compensation Tribunal

The Criminal Injuries Compensation Tribunal manages the compensation scheme for personal injuries and loss for victims of a crime. The scheme is funded by the Department of Justice.

You can claim for compensation for loss, including:

• loss of earnings
• medical expenses
• other certifiable losses

You cannot claim damages for general pain and suffering.

Civil claim

You may experience significant financial implications if you make a civil claim for damages, and you are not successful.

If the perpetrator has no property or money and is not in employment, then you may pay have to pay fees and still not receive a financial award.

Compensation during the criminal process

By law, a court can order financial compensation for you during the criminal process. They can order the perpetrator to compensate you for any personal injury or loss resulting from the criminal offence.

However, a judge may be reluctant to raise the issue of compensation for sexual offences, as this may be seen as an inappropriate punishment for serious crimes including rape.

When you return to the UK

You may want to inform your GP or a Sexual Assault Referral Centre (SARC) what has happened to you, so that you can talk about the experience and seek further support and advice where you live.

If you believe you may be at risk of having contracted a sexually transmitted infection (STI), you should ask your local health provider to test you. You should do this even if you have been tested in the country where the assault took place.

Country	Organisation
England	NHS Choices or search the internet for ‘NHS SARC’
Scotland	Archway SARC or phone 0141 211 8175
Wales	New Pathways SARC or phone 01685 379 310 Ynys Saff Sexual Assault Referral Centre (Cardiff and Vale University Health Board)
Northern Ireland	Rowan SARC Northern Ireland or phone 0800 389 4424

Support organisations in Ireland

It is your choice to let people know. If you are ready to talk about it, these organisations may be able to help you.

Sexual Assault Treatment Units (SATUs)

There are 6 specialist units (SATUs) nationally to provide holistic, responsive and patient focused care to women and men who have experienced a sexual crime. The units are located in Dublin, Cork, Limerick, Donegal, Waterford, Mullingar and Galway.

SATU Dublin
Rotunda Hospital
Parnell Square
Dublin 1

Telephone: 01 8171736 (9am to 5pm)

Outside hours telephone: 01 8171700

Email: satu@rotunda.ie

Dublin Rape Crisis Centre

Dublin Rape Crisis Centre is a national organisation offering a wide range of services to a person affected by rape and sexual assault. These services include a 24 hour helpline, webchat support, one to one counselling and court accompaniment.

Dublin Rape Crisis Centre
McGonnell House
70 Lower Leeson Street
Dublin 2
D02 VW13

24-hour helpline: 1800 77 8888.

Crime Victims Helpline

The Crime Victims Helpline is a national support service for victims of crime in Ireland. They can answer your questions about the criminal justice system, provide information about your rights and refer you to local or specialist victim support services.

Freephone: 116 006.

Glasgow and Clyde Rape Crisis Centre

Glasgow and Clyde Rape Crisis Centre is a support service for women and girls aged 13 and over who have been raped, sexually assaulted or abused.

Glasgow and Clyde Rape Crisis’ (GCRC) Live Online Support service helps British victims of rape and sexual assault anywhere in the world, on Skype, FaceTime, Instant Messenger and email.

Disclaimer

This information has been prepared by UK government officials who are not legally or medically trained. It should therefore never be used as a substitute for professional medical or legal advice. It is intended to help British nationals overseas make their own informed decisions. Neither the UK government nor any official of the consulate accept liability for any loss or damage which you might suffer as a result of relying on the information supplied.

Medical information has been provided by The Havens Sexual Assault Referral Centres of Kings College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and was accurate at the time of production (February 2022).