Donegal sees increase in sexual crime, domestic incidents

Sexual crime and domestic incidents in Donegal are on the rise.

An Garda Siochana's Divisional Protective Service Unit in Donegal currently has 177 open investigations.

So far in 2023, there have been 54 incidents of sexual crime reported in Donegal.

There have also been 411 domestic incidents raised this year.

The specialised DPSU investigates sexual crime, domestic abuse, child sexual exploitation, incidents of child neglect and human trafficking.

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The unit was established in 2020 and is based out of Letterkenny Garda Station. Under the direction of Detective Inspector Siobhan Mollahan, the unit also includes a Detective Sergeant, nine detectives and a clerical officer.

“Since the pandemic, domestic incidents have come under sharper focus,” Detective Inspector Mollahan told a meeting of the Donegal Joint Policing Committee (JPC).

In 2019, there were 772 domestic incidents reported in Donegal and last year that number rose to 1,077.

“It is on the increase,” said Detective Inspector Mollahan, whose unit works closely with the Sexual Assault Treatment Unit (SATU) in Letterkenny.

She added: “We are very fortunate to have the SATU in Donegal. There are six of these units, which examine victims of sexual offences, in the county. We also liaise with Donegal Domestic Violence Services.”

The 177 investigations open under the watch of the DPSU in Donegal include 46 allegations of rape, 12 relating to child abuse images and five of child sexual exploitation.