Rape crisis centres Ireland warn of dangers

Fri Nov 10, 2006 4:53 pm

Rural areas of Ireland falling prey as rapists target pubs
Increasing numbers of men and women in rural areas are being raped after having their drinks spiked, according to a rape crisis centre. Since it opened its doors six years, the South Leinster Rape Crisis Counselling Centre based in Carlow town has found that 20pc of the cases they deal with centre around the rape and drug rape of young women and a significant number of men. The remaining 80pc of cases deal with sexual abuse and its aftermath.
The centre has found the issue is no longer a city based occurance.According to the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre, rape and especially date rape is still going underreported because victims are afraid of not being believed, Between 1999 and 2000, date rape accounted for approximately one in ten of rapes reported to the gardai. And the Rape Crisis Network revealed the number of reported incidents of drug-assisted rape nationwide doubled to 130 in 2001.
Now gardai are warning women of the increasing likelihood that they could become victims of date-rape drugs. The availability on the streets of drugs which can induce a semi-conscious state and leave victims with memory loss is a worry to gardai, who are urging young women in particular to take precautions, especially on a night out at a pub or nightclub. Women are advised not to leave drinks unsupervised. They are also advised to drink out of long-necked bottles, and to keep a finger over the top to ensure nobody can spike it with a tablet or solution. A special leaflet printed by the Police Service of the north of Ireland warns pub-goers and clubbers never to accept drinks from people you don't trust; never to trust a drink which has been topped up or smells funny - and to remember alcohol is the main date rape drug.
Fears of an increasing rate of drug-induced rape are also rising internationally, heightened by the added danger that would-be attackers can scan the internet for recipes to manufacture their own date-rape drugs, using readily available solvents and household equipment. In the US at least 70 date rape drug-related deaths have been reported in the past few years. However medical experts here are sceptical that drug-assisted rapes are commonplace, citing alcohol as a more likely cause of most rape cases reported by women who believed their drink had been spiked.

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Rape crisis centres Ireland warn of dangers