{
  "id": 11231211,
  "title": "DRCC says drop in sexual offence reports 'concerning'",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/01/drcc-says-drop-in-sexual-offence-reports-concerning",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-01T16:12:16.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "RTE News",
    "slug": "rte-news",
    "url": "https://www.rte.ie/news/ireland/2026/1001/1593707-sexual-offences-ireland/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The Dublin Rape Crisis Centre (DRCC) has expressed deep concern over a drop in recorded sexual crime incidents, which has plummeted by 19% year-to-date. According to the latest figures from the Central Statistics Office (CSO), there were 3,189 reported sexual offence incidents up to the end of Q2, a significant decrease from 3,951 incidents in the same period last year. The CSO warns that this data cannot be used as an indicator of the overall prevalence of crime, as there may be an element of underreporting, including in sexual offences.\n\nDRCC Chief Executive Rachel Morrogh believes the drop may signal a decline in the willingness of survivors to report such offences, rather than a genuine decrease in sexual violence rates. The centre argues that official justice statistics do not accurately reflect the true magnitude of sexual offences in Ireland. Morrogh urges survivors to reach out for support, as they are alarmed that the drop is not a temporary blip, with each of the CSO's last three quarterly releases showing a deepening year-on-year decrease in recorded sexual offences.\n\nDespite the drop in reported cases, the demand for DRCC services has surged, with the number of survivors seeking therapy increasing by almost 70% since 2023, and contacts with the National Helpline rising by 29%. Morrogh highlights that fear of not being believed and concern about being stigmatized are acting as barriers to disclosure. She emphasizes the importance of dismantling these barriers to encourage more people to seek justice and ensure that perpetrators are held accountable for their actions.",
  "summary": "A drop in recorded sexual crime is \"hugely concerning\", according to the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre.",
  "key_points": [
    "DRCC reports 19% drop in sexual offence reports year-to-date",
    "Central Statistics Office data shows 3,189 incidents vs 3,951 last year",
    "DRCC fears decline in reporting due to stigma and disbelief"
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}