# Women attending the sexual assault treatment unit services in the Republic of Ireland: A 7‐year review

## TL;DR

This study analyzed data from over 5,000 women in Ireland who sought help after sexual assault, revealing patterns in demographics, incident circumstances, and injury risks.

## Contribution

The study provides the largest national analysis of SATU attendances in Ireland, identifying key factors associated with injury and incident characteristics.

## Key findings

- Most victims were young women aged 18–25, with many being full-time students.
- Injuries were more likely when victims consumed alcohol or drugs before the assault or presented within 24 hours.
- Assailants were typically male, with many incidents occurring at the survivor's or assailant's home.

## Abstract

Sexual assault is pervasive in today's society, with the numbers of those reporting it increasing. In Ireland, 50% of women will experience some form of sexual violence in their lifetime. We sought to describe the incident details of females presenting to the Sexual Assault Treatment Unit (SATU) network in the Republic of Ireland and to determine associations between incident characteristics and: (1) victim age, (2) presence of injury, (3) victim‐perpetrator relationship, and (4) number of assailants.

This was a retrospective cross‐sectional study of all females who attended between 2017 and 2023. Descriptive bivariate analysis was performed.

There were 5942 female attendances, with an average age of 26 years. The largest age group was women between 18 and 25 years (38.1%, n = 2263). Forensic examinations were performed in 76.6% (n = 4549). Assailants were male in 92% (n = 5469) of incidents, with multiple assailants disclosed in 7.3% (n = 435). Strangers or recent acquaintances were the assailant in 38.5% (n = 2290) of incidents, and close associates in 22.9% (n = 1359). Incidents occurred at the survivor's home in 22% (n = 1306) of incidents, and in the assailant's home in 22.6% (n = 1342). Drug use within 24 h was reported in 15.1% (n = 897) of cases, and alcohol use in 72% (n = 4276). Drug‐facilitated assault was suspected by 16.1% (n = 955). Injuries (genital and extra‐genital) occurred in 30.3% (n = 1800) of attendances and were more likely to be seen in those who disclosed ingesting alcohol (Relative risk [RR] 1.325, P < 0.001) or drugs (RR 1.111, P = 0.04) in the 24 h preceding the incident, in those who presented within 24 h (RR 1.646, P < 0.001), those aged 18 years or older (RR 1.07, P = 0.003), and those where the incident occurred outdoors (RR 1.24, P < 0.001).

This study, one of the largest on female attendances to a national SATU network, offers detailed insights into demographics, incident details, and circumstances. Most were young women, mainly 18 years and older, many of whom were full‐time students. Forensic examinations were the primary reason for attendance, underscoring the network's key role in evidence collection. The study also identified factors linked to a higher risk of injury detection, such as immediate post‐incident attendance, being over 18, outdoor incidents, perpetration by a stranger, and prior alcohol or drug use.

This study analyzed 5942 female attendances at Sexual Assault Treatment Units in Ireland (2017–2023), identifying patterns and associations with age, injury, victim–perpetrator relationship, and number of assailants.