The Dublin Rape Crisis Centre has repeated its calls for separate legal representation for victims in rape and sexual abuse cases.
The Centre says that victims who have alleged sexual assault can be put under enormous pressure by lawyers in the course of legal proceedings.
It claims the pressure can go way beyond the boundaries of reasonable protection for the accused, to the detriment of the health and well-being of the witnesses themselves.
The DRCC wants the victims to have their own lawyer throughout the trial of their alleged attacker.
CEO of the Centre, Muireann O'Briain said, 'Our therapists are working with several clients who are victim/witnesses in court cases and providing therapeutic support throughout the process, and we are sickened by the aggression towards them from defence lawyers'.
Ms O'Briain acknowledged that many improvements have been made in the conduct of criminal trials for rape and sexual assault, but said that legal representation for victims is extremely limited in Ireland.
Chairperson of the DRCC Breda Allen said, 'It is very clear to any complainant that, legally speaking, they are 'on their own' in the court, and given that the accused has lawyers who protect their client's position, the complainant cannot but feel unsupported, anxious, fearful and very traumatised'.
