Forensic samples can now be kept for a year in sex attack cases

By Eilish O'regan
Irish Independent
October 18, 2014

http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/news/forensic-samples-can-now-be-kept-for-a-year-in-sex-attack-cases-30673539.html

Sexual Assault Treatment Units, like the one at the Rotunda Hospital in Dublin,will now have the option of keeping forensic evidence collected in the aftermath of a sexual assault for up to a year

Victims of rape and sexual assault, who are examined and treated after the attack, are to be given the option for the first time of preserving valuable forensic samples for a year.

It means if they feel too traumatised to make a formal complaint to the gardai at the time of the attack, but later change their mind, vital evidence is available to the investigation.

The service is due to be provided by the country's Sexual Assault Treatment Units from the beginning of next year and will give the victims of attack the benefit of time if they want to make a formal complaint later.

The option is contained in new national guidelines on the referral and clinical examination of women and men who seek help at the units after an attack. It will mean that units will have to upgrade their facilities and this is expected at the beginning of next year.

Dr Maeve Eogan of the sexual assault unit in the Rotunda Hospital in Dublin said victims currently can choose to go directly to the gardai who bring them to one of the units. They receive comprehensive medical psychological and forensic care. Injuries are documented and forensic samples taken.

The other option is that they have a health check at the unit but do not report to gardai. In this case, the absence of gardai means forensic samples cannot be taken. The existing options are still likely to be those chosen by the majority.

The existing "all or nothing" approach may lead to victims who are in acute trauma to decide not to report the incident which they can later regret.

The new option , which will be available to everyone over the age of 18, allows for the collection and preservation of evidentially valuable forensic samples, said the guidelines. The best time to take samples is within 72 hours of the incident. The samples can be stored for a year or more.

Rape

Last year 677 women and men accessed one of the six units around the country after suffering sexual violence. The Rape Crisis Network of Ireland said its support accompanies 494 of these victims to the units last year .

A spokeswoman said that 95pc of the victims were female and the age range was from teenagers to 65. "For survivors the fact that we are there at the unit, working as part of the team with an Garda Siochana, the SAFE (Sexual Assault Forensic Examination) nurses, doctors and nurses is incredibly important."

A national 24 -hour helpline at 1 800 77 88 88 is available for victims of adult sexual violence and adult victims of childhood sexual abuse.

In 2009 the calls to the helpline reached an all time high due to the publication of the Ryan and Murphy Reports.

Last year they reached another record.

There were 3,928 first time callers and the number of repeat contacts in 2013 at 4,955, was the highest in nine years, according to the latest figures.

Of the 284 who were attending the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre for therapy for the first time, just one third reported to gardai.