A Galway City councillor has said that the main reason for the low level of reporting of sexual assaults is the ‘correct perception that there is a lack of prosecution’.
Cllr Pauline O’Reilly made the comments following the exclusion of sexual assault reporting from the Garda report received by councillors and community representatives at the Joint Policing Committee this week, to protect the identity of victims.
Cllr O’Reilly said that she welcomes all of the excellent work by the Gardai in the area who continually reach out to encourage victims to come forward.
However, the Green Party councillor added she feels that being open about the percentage of successful prosecutions on an ongoing basis is the only way to encourage more people to come forward.
Statistics from the Central Statistics Office and the Irish Courts system reveal that nationally 90% of recorded rapes and sexual assaults end in something other than a conviction.
