There's been a rise in the number of sexual assaults reported by Irish people while travelling abroad.
A new study by the Royal College of Surgeons and the Rotunda Hospital shows that over 440 sexual assaults were reported following a holiday or period of travel, in the last 7 years.
Worryingly, the researchers found the number of international cases increased significantly from 55 cases in 2017 to 126 in 2023, representing a 130% increase
The number of cases reported annually more than doubled between 2017 and 2023.
One in fourteen people who reported an incident to a Sexual Assault Treatment Unit in Ireland reported that the incident had taken place while abroad.
The research found that assaults that happened outside of Ireland were significantly more likely to have been caused by a stranger or recent acquaintance.
Incidents happened in over 60 countries, with half of them in Europe. Irish embassies and consulates responded to 126 reports of attacks between 2017 and 2023. But a multiple of that figure attended the country’s network of six sexual assault treatment units during the seven-year period with 443 international incidents reported in 66 separate countries.
90 percent of those who reported sexual assault following their return from travelling or from a holiday, were women, with an average age of 27.
The majority of these incidents were disclosed as being perpetrated by a stranger or recent acquaintance, in an indoor setting with over half having occurred in Europe.
Dr Daniel Kane, senior registrar at the Rotunda Hospital, said the importance of care at sexual assault treatment units for those who have been sexually assaulted whilst travelling internationally cannot be overstated.
“People who experience sexual crime during international travel should be encouraged to seek medical attention as soon as possible and to avail of appropriate follow-up care if/when they return home”, said the forensic examiner with the SATU and main author of the study.
The study, published in the International Journal of Legal Medicine, found that international cases accounted for 7% of all attendances to the country’s sexual assault units over the seven years.
The research, which was carried out by the Rotunda Hospital and the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland, found the average age of international attendees was around 26 years, with females representing 90% of cases.
