The organisation publishes its annual report this lunchtime and outlines the unprecedented levels of demand met by its teams.

Justice minister Jim O’Callaghan will launch the report in Dublin at noon in an event that includes addresses by Dr Stephanie O’Keeffe, chief executive of Cuan, the State’s domestic, sexual and gender-based violence agency, as well as DRCC’s chairperson and CEO. The launch will also see the premiere of a video featuring some of the centre’s clients.

Mr O’Callaghan, said:“Dublin Rape Crisis Centre’s Annual Report for 2025 highlights both the scale of the challenge we continue to face to combat sexual violence as well as the extraordinary work being done by DRCC to support survivors and victims.

“The figures are stark, with DRCC’s helpline recording its highest ever number of contacts last year. The Report also points to a society more open to talking about sexual violence and survivors and victims more confident in coming forward seeking support.

“I commend the DRCC leadership team, staff and volunteers for their tireless work and commitment. I also want to acknowledge the courage of every survivor who reaches out for support, often for the first time.

“I remain firmly committed to continue strengthening services and legislation, supporting survivors, and driving lasting cultural change so we achieve zero tolerance for domestic, sexual and gender based violence in Irish society.”

Chief executive of Dublin Rape Crisis Centre, Rachel Morrogh, said: “Last year was one of the most demanding and in many ways defining years in Dublin Rape Crisis Centre’s history. Across our National Helpline, therapy and accompaniment services in 2025, demand reached levels we have not previously seen, making this the busiest year ever for the organisation.

“Our specialised therapy service experienced unprecedented demand last year. We supported 838 therapy clients, a 31.5% increase on 2024 and a rise of almost 70% over two years. Looking at how this rise in the number of clients affected the number of therapy sessions our therapists delivered last year, we can see the figure grow to almost 7,300 therapy appointments, a very significant increase of just under 23% from 5,916 in 2024.

“The National Rape Crisis Helpline fielded an extraordinary 23,955 contacts – up over 5% from 2024 and a 29% increase from 2023. This signals a clear and continuing upward trend in people seeking support. Of those callers who told us whether they were a first time or repeat callers, 6 in 10 had called us before and 4 in 10 were first-time callers. This tells us that people need the ongoing telephone counselling support the National Helpline offers and that we are a constant and reliable support for callers from across the country. I’m always mindful of the courage it takes to pick up the phone for the first time, to find the words to say out loud. We thank each and every one for their trust in us.

“Dublin Rape Crisis Centre’s accompaniment service is there for people at the points on their journey we know to be particularly hard and we were pleased to see a sharp rise in the number seeking this type of support last year because it means survivors are not facing these very difficult challenges alone.In 2025, we carried out 850 accompaniment sessions across Sexual Assault Treatment Unit (SATU), Garda and court settings. Accompaniment support at the SATU in Dublin’s Rotunda Hospital increased by 34% over 2024. Behind each of these figures is a person facing some of the most intimidating, devastating moments of their lives, and our accompaniment team’s presence ensured that none of them had to navigate medical or justice processes alone.

“Above all, I want to acknowledge the courage of every person who reached out to us in 2025, while recognising that there are many more survivors who are still carrying the trauma of sexual violence alone.”