There was an almost 20 per cent increase in calls to the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre last year, according to the centre's annual report.
The report, released yesterday in Dublin, stated that while victims were coming forward in increasing numbers, the vast majority of people remained reluctant to seek help or counselling.
Calls relating to child sexual abuse made up 44 per cent of incidents reported to the centre while calls relating to adult sexual abuse made up most of the remainder. The centre received a total of 10,000 calls to its 24-hour counselling line, up about 1,800 on the previous year.
Only 31 per cent of the victims of rape and sexual assault reported the incidents to the Garda, according to the centre. It said that greater confidence in the legal system could be created for victims if they were given free legal aid from the earliest stage of legal proceedings.
Some 88 per cent of callers were women and 34 per cent of all callers were between 15 and 19.
Although cases of child sexual abuse are more likely to end in convictions than adult sexual assaults, the centre called for more attention to be given by the Government to protecting young people. The report stated that the proportion of assaults by strangers had increased from 21 per cent to 32 per cent.
The centre called on the public to support rape crisis centres around the State with financial donations and volunteers.