Clients asking for help by the Mayo Rape Crisis Centre have increased by 6 percent in 2024.

The annual report published on Tuesday afternoon (September 30) also states that the number of appointments held at the Castlebar based charity have gone up by 10 percent.

"In line with previous years, there's an increase in our service", reflects Shauna Jackson, Director of Service as the Mayo Rape Crisis Centre (MRCC):

"What we can see from 2025 already is that there'll be another increase, considerably more actually. So, the need for the service is growing."

The MRCC offers a helpline as support for men and women who have experienced rape, sexual assault or childhood sexual abuse.

Counselling remains the heart of the organisation's service with approximately 30-35 appointments weekly. Once again the demand for our counselling service in 2024 was such that the Mayo Rape Crisis Centre had an ongoing waiting list.

One client, who first reached out to the MRCC in October 2023, described her experience with the counselling she received as a pivotal help: "When I came here, I was under a black cloud. I was in pain, shattered. A lot has happened to me.
But the support that I got was very important."

Increase in reporting of sexual violence and rape

"We don't know whether sexual violence is increasing within our society," Jackson explains, speaking to The Mayo News.

"What we know is that more people are wanting to access the service. So, if you look at the recent CSO figures from An Garda Siochana, which was just last week, you can see that there's a decrease in a lot reported crime, but there's an increase in reporting of sexual violence and rape."

The Mayo Rape Crisis Centre was founded in 1994 and is a member of Rape Crisis Ireland (RCI), the national representative body for Rape Crisis Centres and the specialist voice on sexual violence in Ireland.

The organisation says: "The Mayo Rape Crisis Centre is a safe place where our expertise and dedication meet each survivor’s limitless potential for healing and recovery, as we accompany them on their individual journey."

Read the full article with the client's story and more interviews in Tuesday's Mayo News.