There’s been a rise in the number of sexual assaults reported by Irish people while travelling abroad.
A new study by the Royal College of Surgeons and the Rotunda Hospital shows that over 440 sexual assaults were reported following a holiday or period of travel, in the last 7 years.
The number of cases reported annually more than doubled between 2017 and 2023.
One in fourteen people who reported an incident to a Sexual Assault Treatment Unit in Ireland reported that the incident had taken place while abroad.
The research found that assaults that happened outside of Ireland were significantly more likely to have been caused by a stranger or recent acquaintance.
Incidents happened in over 60 countries, with half of them in Europe.
90 percent of those who reported sexual assault following their return from travelling or from a holiday, were women, with an average age of 27.
