Rape cases increased by almost 80% since 2014
The number of rape court-cases in Ireland has increased by nearly 80% in recent years.
In 2014, the DPP directed 65 cases for prosecution in the Central Criminal Court, where all rape claims are dealt with.
But this rose rapidly in subsequent years, to 116 by 2017.
Noeline Blackwell, the chief executive of Dublin Rape Crisis Centre, is n0t surprised by the new statistics.
She said: "This would be consistent with what we see in the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre and what we hear on the national helpline.
"There seems to be less time in cases coming up for hearing and this must have to do with the fact that over the last couple of years more resources have been put into the area of the DPP and to the courts."
