Almost 12,000 people contacted the national helpline of the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre (DRCC) last year, a new report has shown.

According to the DRCC's Annual Report 2015, over 5,900 of these were first-time contacts - a 16% increase when compared to 2014.

Around three in four callers to the helpline were female, and two in three were from the Dublin area.

Some 51% of calls related to adult sexual violence, including rape and sexual harassment, while 49% related to childhood sexual abuse.

"Compared with 2014, 2015 saw a resurgence in calls relating to childhood sexual abuse with a small decrease in calls relating to adult sexual violence. We have seen an increase in adults in midlife looking for therapy for childhood sexual abuse, often after many years of suffering and silence," explained the DRCC's head of clinical services, Angela McCarthy.

She pointed out that the increase in the number of people contacting the helpline for the first time had led to an increase in demand for face-to-face therapy. This, she said, is an area ‘where the demand exceeds the resources available to the centre'.

Meanwhile, the report revealed that 284 victims of a recent rape or sexual assault were accompanied by trained DRCC volunteers to the Sexual Assault Treatment Unit of Dublin's Rotunda Hospital.

Furthermore, 499 people were seen for individual counselling during the year. Among these, 64% were new clients and 10% were male. Just over half (51%) were victims of adult rape, sexual assault and sexual harassment, while the remainder were victims of childhood sexual abuse.

The report noted that among 318 people who commenced therapy with the DRCC in 2015 and where the reporting status was known, just 36% had reported their abuse to the Gardai.

Commenting on the report, DRCC chairperson, Ann Marie Gill, said that the centre aims to ensure ‘that those who are victims of sexual violence get the crisis counselling, therapy and support that they need to heal'.

"We also use our voice and our experience as an organisation to prevent the harm of rape in the first place. Our report shows that reducing the trauma of rape and sexual abuse is very complex. It involves supporting victims through counselling and therapy as well as in the justice system. The consequences of the crimes of rape and sexual assault are often hidden, but it is essential that those who are affected are given the chance and the right to recover," she said.

The DRCC pointed out that two-thirds of its funding comes from State grants, with the rest having to be fundraised.

"While the grants received are essential, they only partially cover the costs. Recession cuts to funding have not been reversed which means that we cannot do all we would like to do. However, we are proud of what we can do with a committed staff, dedicated volunteers, and staunch support from donors," commented incoming CEO, Noeline Blackwell.

She insisted that the problems caused by sexual violence could be ‘greatly reduced by a robust legal system, adequate resources for healing and a common societal understanding that sexual violence occurs where consent is absent'.

The national helpline can be contacted 24 hours a day at 1800 77 88 88, For more information on the DRCC, click here