Despite low reporting numbers, “helpline is always busy” says O’Leary.
WHILE high-profile sexual assault cases can encourage some survivors to seek support, many still do not feel comfortable reporting their experiences, according to Siobhán O’Leary, Executive Director of the Rape Crisis Centre Midwest.
Speaking to the Limerick Voice, O’Leary said society remains “very far away” from a point where survivors feel able to come forward. Her comments come in the wake of the sentencing of British actor Russell Brand to 10 years and six months in prison for rape and sexual assault, a case that has renewed public discussion around reporting sexual violence.
The judge in this case told Brand that he had “displayed a casual, arrogant disregard of any woman’s right to say no”.
“We have to remember that the statistics are very glaring: 85% of people do not report sexual violence; we’re only seeing a very small percentage of people that actually do reach out”.
When asked if she had noticed an increase in reported cases during her time working at the centre, O’Leary responded with a more pessimistic view. “I have spoken to people that are working in this sector for thirty years and they haven’t felt a change”.
Despite these numbers, Siobhán O’Leary does say that their “Helpline is always busy, whether it be via our social media DM’s or our info email address”. “We would get a lot more engagement online”.
“We’re still in a world where there’s very high-profile abusers in very high-profile offices being given platforms and that are being supported, that’s a telling thing itself”
O’Leary stressed that support is out there for anyone who has been affected.
“From a service point of view, irrespective of what way you want seek support, there is services out there that do understand what you’ve been through and do believe you, and will be here if and when you are ready”.
You can visit the website
or you can email info@rapecrisis.ie if you need support.