There is a growing belief that sex has to be violent, leading to increased extreme violence in sexual assault. 

That’s according to Dublin Rape Crisis Centre (DRCC) Executive Noeline Blackwell, who said there was a “real concern” caused by the latest report on sexual assault treatment units (SATUs). 

Some 1,072 people attended one of the six SATUs in Ireland in 2022 – a 24.7% increase compared to 2021. 

Ms Blackwell said the increase was likely influenced by COVID-19 lockdowns in the past two years. 

“If you were to take COVID and the lockdown period out of it, it’s about 10% up from 2019,” she said. 

Violent pornography

The report also found physical restraints were used in 34% of incidents last year compared to 25% in 2021, while 7.5% of cases involved the use of weapons. 

Ms Blackwell said there is “a growing belief that for sex to happen, it has to be violent”. 

“A lot of people are getting a lot of their ideas about what sexual relationships should look like from pornographic material and that is highly violent,” she said. 

“People are incorporating this into their sexual activity, even though it is harmful and abusive and even though people are really upset by it.” 

According to the report, the majority of incidents took place in the assailant's home (24%), while the majority of assailants were strangers to the victim (26%) or an acquaintance for more than 24 hours (19%). 

Just over 20% of people treated at a SATU were 18 or under.

Target failure

SATUs across Ireland also failed to reach their target of seeing victims with three hours of a request for an examination. 

Ms Blackwell said this is the “usual situation with so many health services at the moment”. 

“It's hard to recruit staff, it’s hard to get staff at the unsocial hours, and sexual assault treatment units are busiest at nights,” she said. 

A sexual assault treatment unit at the Rotunda Hospital in Dublin City Centre.

She said the DRCC and SATUs alike are “disappointed” by this finding – but they continue to provide emotional support and are working to restore the target. 

“People are so upset by rape or sexual assault, and while they are waiting for that treatment, they can’t even go home and change,” she said. 

Some 91% of people seen at SATUs were women, which Ms Blackwell said is “consistent” with other findings on sexual assault. 

“It is one of the issues that has to be addressed,” she said.