An Garda Síochána welcomes and supports today’s launch of the new Sexual Assault Treatment Unit National Guidelines, in the Rotunda Hospital, Dublin by Dr. Frank Dolphin, Chairman of the Health Service Executive.
An Garda Síochána recognises the physical, emotional and psychological pain of those who experience sexual violence and promotes a sympathetic, compassionate and sensitive approach to those reporting such crimes.
We are fully committed to supporting the interagency practices and procedures established over recent years and are constantly seeking to improve the service we provide to victims of sexual crime. The 2nd Edition of Recent Rape/Sexual Assault: National Guidelines on Referral and Forensic Clinical Examination in Ireland, launched today, will facilitate further the interagency co-operation required to ensure the provision of a high quality service to victims of sexual crime.
Members of An Garda Síochána have collaborated with medical and nursing personnel of the HSE, Rape Crisis Network Ireland and the Forensic Science Laboratory in the development of those guidelines, which reflect the many positive developments in the services provided by An Garda Síochána and our partner agencies since the original guidelines were first published in 2006.
These new guidelines can be found on the Garda website, along with the Garda Síochána Policy on the Investigation of Sexual Crime, Crimes against Children and Child Welfare.
The newly established Sexual Crime Management Unit will further improve the services provided by An Garda Síochána by:
* evaluating the investigation of sexual crime throughout the country
* assisting and advising Gardaí in their investigations
* ensuring the professional and timely investigation of such crimes, and
* promoting best investigative practices in accordance with international standards.
An Garda Síochána urges anyone who has experienced sexual violence to report the incident to their local Garda Station, or in an emergency dial 112 or 999.
For further information, please contact the Domestic Violence & Sexual Assault Investigation Unit at Garda Headquarters, Harcourt Square, Dublin 2 by telephone at (01) 6663430, or by email at dvsaiu@garda.ie.
Information regarding Sexual Assault Treatment Units throughout the country is available from www.rotunda.ie.
Information regarding rape crisis services is available from www.rcni.ie.
Garda Press Office.
