Rape Crisis Network Ireland Responds to CSO Figures on Crime Victims and Suspected Offenders

In response to the Central Statistics Office figures released today on Recorded Crime Victims 2020 and Suspected Offenders 2019, the RCNI would like to point out that, while sexual violence seems particularly horrifying where children are both the victims and the perpetrators, this is the reality we must urgently face up to. Sexual violence crimes are committed by children because we have somehow taught them this behaviour and set of attitudes. We must understand how we do this and what we need to do to change

The figure of 20% for child victim and perpetrator in 2019 recorded by the Gardai compares with our own rape crisis numbers which are lower at 13% of sexual violence disclosed to us committed by children acting alone and a further 4% where adults were also part of the abuse, possibly directing the child’s abuse of another child.

For the RCNI the standout figure remains that 99% of the perpetrators of recorded sexual violence were male. Male sexual violence remains the core issue that needs to be addressed.