A joint investigation by Dublin's Rape Crisis Centre and the city's Trinity College School of Law, found that rape victims are entitled to some form of legal representation in all European Union countries, except for Britain and Ireland.

Victims should have legal representation at the pre-trial stage and during the trial itself, the 400-page report recommends.

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The report carried out an in-depth legal and psychological study of five EU member states - Denmark, Belgium, France, Germany, and Ireland.

It concluded that all the rape victims in Ireland felt less confident, were less articulate and experienced more stress about testifying in court than interviewees in any other country.

Dublin Rape Crisis Centre director Olive Braiden said: "Separate legal representation is the one single change that would make all the difference."

The report also recommends:

• Measures to discourage the use of unduly aggressive cross-examination

• The avoidance of unnecessary delays in bringing rape cases to trial

• Facilities to minimise contact in court between victims and defendants

• Ensuring that evidence of the rape victim's previous sexual experience is inadmissible

• Granting courts the power to award compensation to victims

• The introduction of specialist training in dealing with rape cases for the judiciary as well as support mechanisms for those dealing regularly with rape cases