A review will take place on the use of counselling notes in sexual assault and rape court cases, Justice Minister Helen McEntee has confirmed. Currently, legal teams can request counselling notes for a victim of sexual abuse, which has long been an issue for survivors. The chairperson of the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre (DRCC) Ann Marie Gill said during her nine years in the role, there were 129,000 contacts to the National Rape Crisis Helpline. Ann Marie Gill, Helen McEntee, and Rachel Morrogh at the launch of Dublin Rape Crisis Centre’s annual report. I am hugely concerned that there is a mental health crisis amongst survivors of sexual violence and that public mental health services are struggling with inadequate capacity.

Source: Irish Examiner June 28, 2024 08:05 UTC