Family abuse accounts for one-third of Galway Rape Crisis Centre cases

One in every three people who sought counselling and support from the Galway Rape Crisis Centre last year was abused by a family member.

Family members made up the largest percentage of perpetrators reported by the people who used the service in 2012, according to the annual report launched by the GRCC patron, Garry Hynes yesterday.

Over half of the victims – referred to as ‘survivors’ in the report – wait an average between one to two years before reporting the abuse, which ranged from rape to sexual harassment.

Over half of the cases reported to the GRCC involved rape, followed by sexual assault (28%),  aggravated sexual assault and sexual harassment.

Almost half contacted the centre directly, while the other half were referred by other organisations from counsellors, medical staff, friends and Gardaí.

During 2012, counsellors at GRCC offered counselling to clients from 22 different countries though 74% of those counselled were Irish. Most of this was provided at the GRCC’s main centre on Forster Street.

There were 719 service users last year; 2,937 people called the GRCC helpline and the centre provided 3,106 appointments.

The centre, which experienced cuts to its funding last year, employs 14 part-time staff and 12 volunteer counsellors, though it has 27 counsellors in total.

See full story in this week’s Connacht Tribune