Increase in number of teenage girls presenting at sexual assault treatment units

A “significant increase” in the number of teenage girls presenting at sexual assault treatment units (SATUs), has been found in the largest review of cases undertaken here.

The study, thought also to be the largest of its kind internationally, looks at all presentations by women and girls at the State’s six SATUs over a six-year period. It finds girls under 18 are more likely to be sexually assaulted before midnight, in a park, field or other outdoor spaces, and by a family member or friend, than their adult counterparts.

They are also more likely to present later at a SATU and with a member of An Garda Siochana than adult victims.

Titled Female adolescent sexual assault – a national review of 1,014 consecutive cases, the study was conducted jointly by the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI) and the SATU at the Rotunda hospital, Dublin and is published in the Journal of Forensic and Legal Medicine.

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It draws on an analysis of all 5,416 presentations at the State’s six SATUs between January 2017 and December 2022. Of these presentations, 4,965 were by females who had been sexually assaulted or were concerned they had been. Of these 1,014 were under 18. Their mean age was 16.1 years, with 28.3 years the mean age of the women.

SATUs provide medical, psychological and forensic care, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, to anyone aged 14 and over who may have been subjected to a sexual crime, cognisant of the need to document and gather evidence for any future prosecution.

“Sexual assault disproportionally affects adolescents, with those between the ages of 12 and 17 being at highest risk,” note authors Daniel Kane of the RCSI and Maeve Eogan of the SATU at the Rotunda.

They found “a significant increase in adolescent attendances over the study period” – from 147 (18 per cent of the year’s total) in 2017 to 196 (20 per cent) in 2022.

“This is likely multifactorial with increased advertisement and awareness of the SATU service as well as societal change in attitude towards sexual assault, with more widespread discussion of the issue and available supports,” says the report.

Adults were “significantly more likely” (80 per cent) to attend at a SATU within seven days of an alleged assault compared with 70 per cent of teenagers, who were twice as likely (16 per cent) to wait a month or more as their adult counterparts (eight per cent).

The adolescent population was “significantly more likely than the adult population” (78 per cent) to attend with An Garda Síochána, than the adults (62.8 per cent).

Looking at the incidents, adolescents were more likely to be assaulted during the day and before midnight (58 per cent) than adults (35 per cent) – a reflection of the fact teenagers are more likely to away from adult supervision during the day and early night-time says the report.

“The location of the disclosed incident was significantly more likely to be outdoors (field/park/other outdoors) for adolescents (40 per cent) than for adults (16 per cent),” possibly due to the fact adolescents are more likely to socialise outdoors, say the authors.

“Adolescents (29 per cent) were also significantly more likely to disclose being assaulted by a family member or friend” than the women (16 per cent) and were “significantly less likely to have consumed alcohol” with 46 per cent saying they had not consumed alcohol compared with 25 per cent of adults.

While assaults perpetrated by more than one assailant, involving the use of restraints and of weapons were similar between the two groups, acute bodily injuries, both genital and extra-genital, were “significantly less likely in the adolescent” (30 per cent), than the adult (35.5 per cent).

These findings are important to ensure “appropriate tailoring of treatment, prevention and awareness strategies to help modify the impact and reduce the incidence of sexual assault in the vulnerable adolescent cohort” says the report.