Majority of rape sentences exceeded 10 years in 2025, Courts Service data shows

New figures from the Courts Service reveal that over half of all prison terms handed down for rape and attempted rape in 2025 were for a decade or longer.

Majority of rape sentences exceeded 10 years in 2025, Courts Service data shows

Prison terms of ten years or more were handed down in the majority of rape and attempted rape convictions last year, official court statistics reveal.

The Courts Service annual report for 2025 shows 259 out of 444 custodial sentences for these crimes — approximately 58 per cent — carried terms of at least a decade. Sentences between five and ten years accounted for 123 cases, while 58 fell between two and five years. Only four offenders received terms below two years.

The Central Criminal Court dealt with 691 trials for rape or attempted rape during the year. Convictions were secured in 438 of these, while 168 defendants walked free and 85 trials ended without a jury consensus.

Justice Minister Jim O'Callaghan received the document at a launch event on Monday. Board chair Justice Aileen Donnelly noted that filings for sexual offences have climbed by 13.6 per cent across two years, suggesting victims are increasingly willing to come forward and see cases through.

The lower courts also saw mounting pressure from narcotics cases, which jumped by 8 per cent annually to reach 30,018. Public order and violent incidents filed in the District Court totalled 48,537.

Requests for protection under domestic violence legislation rose to 27,429, up from 25,270 the previous year. Since new laws created civil restraining orders, 1,839 people have sought such measures.

Further details are available in the Irish Times coverage.

Source: Irish Times