Just one in three sexual offence cases sent to DPP results in prosecution

Data provided to The Sunday Times reveal that of the 19,019 sexual offence files submitted to the DPP in the last 10 years,  but only 6,365, or 33 per cent, led to court proceedings. Of the rape cases that were prosecuted, only half resulted in a conviction.

2020 saw the highest number of files submitted, with 2,189 received by the DPP. However, just 730 cases – again 33 per cent – resulted in prosecution. In the previous year, 2,032 cases were submitted, with 679 progressing to court. So far this year, 992 files have been sent to the DPP. Of those, 308 have led to prosecution and a further 224 remain under consideration.

Sinn Féin TD Matt Carthy, the party’s justice spokesman, said the figures were “very concerning”.

“Considering that in each of those instances there’s a relatively high bar before the gardai would present a case to the DPP, there was clearly a criminal investigation conducted, and to have such a low level of actual cases being pursued to the court by the DPP, or leading to a prosecution, is worrying,” he said.

He added: “If the gardai are carrying out a criminal investigation, that means that they believe that there’s veracity in the complaints that are made and then if they are ultimately deciding that a file is sent to the DPP, there is a bar that needs to be reached in order for gardai to come to that point.

“Then if you have such a drop-off of virtually 67 per cent of the cases not resulting in any prosecution, it doesn’t help what we’re all trying to do, which is build confidence for victims to come forward and to actually present their cases.”

Mr Carthy said the figures raised serious questions about the DPP’s approach to sexual offence prosecutions.

“We know that there are many victims of sexual, domestic and gender-based violence that don’t actually report their case or don’t pursue their case even after it’s originally reported, and part of that is the experience that people have with the justice system,” he said.

“Clearly if somebody has made a complaint, dealt with the gardai, sent a file to the DPP and then ultimately no prosecution is brought to bear, well then that will obviously impact on the willingness of others to take those steps.”