Rape/sexual assault/child abuse

Myths about sexual violence still exist.

• Although men are the perpetrators in almost all adult sexual violence, in 7% of child abuse cases women are the sole perpetrators. While this may seem a comparatively small figure it cannot be dismissed.
• A generous estimate is that stranger-rapes/assaults make up 35% of sexual violence towards adults. For 24% of women who have experienced sexual violence it is their partner or ex-partner who have raped or sexually assaulted them. For 42% of men, it is friends or acquaintances. In 80% of child abuse cases, the children knew their abuser.
• An Irish report tells us that 28% of men said they had experienced sexual violence at some point (10% said it was as an adult). For women, it is 42%.
• Sexual violence is about power and control over another person, trying to achieve a feeling of domination by violent and traumatizing means.
• It can seem rarer than it is because survivors can be too ashamed or afraid to come forward.
• If one person is claiming to have been attacked and the person being blamed is saying that it?s not true. It?s not to say that there has never been a case of a person falsely claiming they?ve been assaulted; but survivors have to go through long and complex procedures. Using pure logic here, it seems very unlikely that someone would choose to put themselves through all that if it was a lie.

Rape is unlawful sexual intercourse with a person who at the time does not consent to it, where the person knows she does not consent to it OR is reckless about finding out whether she consents or not. Rape is also a sexual assault, which includes penetration (however slight) of anus, mouth and/or vagina by penis or other object.

Aggravated sexual assault is a sexual attack that involves a serious level of violence, causes grave injury, humiliation or degradation to the victim. A sexual assault involves a less serious degree of violence in the attack.

Child sexual abuse is the sexual use of a child by a person for his or her sexual arousal or gratification or that of others and this can include: molestation, exposure, masturbation, sexual exploitation and intercourse. It can also include being made to look at or take part in pornography.

If you have experienced rape/sexual assault or think you may have:

• It is up to you to decide if you want to report this; but you can leave your options open by not washing yourself or your clothes afterwards. This may be exactly what you want to do but this will destroy possibly very valuable evidence if you do decide you want to report it.

• Without committing yourself to anything, you can ring your nearest Rape Crisis Centre and they will offer you support and advice about what you can do in the immediate, short and long-term future. Some Rape Crisis Centres have trained volunteers to accompany you to the Sexual Assault Treatment Unit and to court ? if you wish. The Centre is a useful port of call at any stage, whatever you decide to do. Their services are for men and women.

• You should get a medical check-up even if you don?t want to report it. This way you can get any injuries treated, get tested and treated for possible STIs, and also get emergency contraception. You can ring your nearest Rape Crisis Centre for the best place to seek medical attention in your area.

Sexual Assault Treatment Unit (SATU) ? Rotunda Hospital

If you wish to report an attack the Garda will need forensic evidence to catch the perpetrator or support your case in court. You will be examined internally and externally and different samples and swabs will be taken and analyzed. The clothes you were wearing at the time of the attack will most likely be taken away by Garda for testing. Clothing will be provided or you can bring your own change of clothes.

Garda will be there but during the examination you will be screened off from them. You can also have someone you know there and/or a trained volunteer from the Rape Crisis Centre. In the event of having a supporter of your own, they may be asked to leave during the examination in case they are called as witnesses if the case goes to court. You can, however, insist on them being present throughout and that?s fine.

If you have experienced child abuse:

Whether or not you want to report it, there is support such as the Rape Crisis Centre there for you. The RCC can help you if you do want to report the abuse. It?s important to remember that no matter the circumstances surrounding the abuse, involving children in any kind of sexual activity is always inappropriate and wrong.

Drug-assisted sexual attack

In some assaults a drug is used to make a potential victim incapable of properly defending him/herself. The kinds of drugs commonly used tend to be anaesthetizing and muscle relaxants, meaning that you could pass out from them or be conscious but unable to do anything about what may be happening to you. They are often colourless, tasteless and odourless.

However, you do not need to have your drink spiked to be made vulnerable. Alcohol is still the most commonly used drug in assisting sexual assault. If you ever combine alcohol (even mistakenly) with prescriptive medication or drugs of any kind, you are even more at risk and your normal tolerance level can go out the window. Tiredness and mood also have a big affect on your tolerance.

To ensure you have a safe night out make sure to follow these tips:

• Never leave your drink unattended. Even turning your back on it could be dangerous.
• When someone offers to buy you a drink, go up to the bar with them so you can see everything that?s going on.
• Go out, stay out, and come back in numbers. Don?t let someone go off on their own with no way of contacting them.
• Be wary of someone who is not a close friend offering to ?help? you, even if it seems really innocent.
• If you think your drink was spiked, you should report it, as soon as you possible. You or a friend can report it to the security in the bar/club or go to the Garda.

If you think that you were subjected to a drug-assisted sexual attack, if you want to report it you will have to do so quickly because most of the drugs leave the system very quickly and cannot be picked up in tests. There is help and information available to you from your nearest Rape Crisis Centre, even if you are not sure that anything particular happened.

Supporting a survivor of sexual violence

The Rape Crisis Center is there for you too. It can give you support, help and information. One thing you can consider also is ways in which you can give the survivor back a sense of control over their own lives, which the attack or abuse most likely took from them. Resist temptation to constantly do things and make decisions for them that they can do themselves even though you just want to be helpful.

For further Information:

Dublin Rape Crisis Centre
www.drcc.ie
One in Four
www.oneinfour.org