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A new report by Professor Sinéad Ring and Rape Crisis Ireland reveals that the Irish rape shield law is failing to protect complainants from irrelevant sexual history questions, with 39% of trials involving evidence admission applications. The report argues the law should be repealed due to its ineffective protection against character attacks and outdated assumptions.
A report by Maynooth University associate law professor Sinéad Ring, supported by Rape Crisis Ireland (RCI), has found that Ireland's ' rape shield' law is 'not doing the job it was designed to do' and should be repealed.
The law, intended to protect rape complainants from being questioned about their sexual history during trial, is being undermined by the current discretion judges hold in granting evidence admission applications. The report indicates that 39% of sexual offence trials last year involved such applications, with significant numbers involving young complainants, suggesting the law fails to adequately protect survivors from intrusive cross-examination based on outdated stereotypes.
Rape Shield Sexual Offence Trial Complainant Protection Evidence Admission Rape Crisis Ireland
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