A new survey has found a "worrying" level of victim-blaming in Irish society, the Dublin Rape Crisis has said.
According to recently published Eurobarometer findings, one-in-five people living in Ireland believe that women "make up or exaggerate claims of abuse and rape".
Dublin Rape Crisis Centre's chief executive Rachel Morrogh said the data "validates concerns that survivors of sexual violence have about how disclosing what happened to them will be received."
Ms Morragh said concerns about not being believed prevent survivors of sexual abuse from coming forward.
"We know that women cite fears around not being believed and being judged and blamed as barriers to sharing an incident of sexual violence with anyone and this research shows that there is still a long way to go until those fears can be dispelled," she said.
Intimate image abuse
The Eurobarometer also found that one-in-three Irish people believe that if a woman shares intimate images with someone they are "at least partially responsible" if these images get shared online without their consent.
"Intimate Image Abuse is a crime under Irish law since 2021 and while much has been done to transmit the message that this is illegal and harmful activity, we can see more must be done," Ms Morragh said.
Ms Morragh said the Eurobarometer findings show that Ireland needs to urgently address attitudes to consent and sexual violence.
Image shows a woman looking at her phone, Alamy"It must be clear that sexual violence does not happen in a vacuum – it is carried out by individuals, but the attitudes in society really matter for creating the conditions in which it is carried out," she said.
"We all have a role to play in addressing this and creating a safer, healthier society for all of us, with zero tolerance for gender-based violence."
Ms Morragh said Ireland still has "a long way to go" to unpack victim-blaming.
If you have been affected by any of the issues raised in this article, you can contact the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre's National Helpline on 1800 778888.
Feature image shows protestors on Grafton Street, Alamy.
