On average one woman was raped or sexually assaulted a day over Christmas and during the month of December, according to new figures.
The new figures were released today by the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre.
Volunteers from the Rape Crisis Centre accompanied 30 women to the Sexual Assault Treatment Unit at the Rotunda Hospital last month, one of whom had to travel from Donegal for examination.
A further two women were assisted by the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre on New Year's Day.
48 calls were made to the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre's helpline between Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve, 12 of the calls related to recent rape and assaults.
Chief Executive of the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre, Ellen O'Malley Dunlop, has said the provisional figures for this year appear to show two clusters of rape, on December 22 and 29 December.
Four rapes were reported to gardaí on each date.
One of the eight victims, who was raped after two men dragged her into a car, was forced to make a ten-hour return journey from Donegal to Dublin for examination because Sexual Assault Treatment services were not available in either Letterkenny, Sligo or Ballina.
Ms O'Malley said the figures confirm an continued increase what it calls stranger rape and this is a matter of concern.
