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Monday, July 27, 2009
THERE are no dedicated medical services for children who experience sexual abuse here and those that do exist are under-resourced and limited by lack of equipment and facilities, it has been claimed.
A spokesman for the Manuela Riedo Foundation, set up by the parents of the murdered Swiss girl to lobby for reform in the health and legal systems here, said it had been contacted by six eminent Irish doctors who wanted to help them in their fight.
Brendan McGuinness said he had been contacted by doctors who worked in the field of sexual assault, expressing their desire to improve services here and to train medical students to be equipped to deal with sexual assault. He said doctors felt their "hands were tied" by the health system.
In a wide-ranging letter to Health Minister Mary Harney, the foundation claims there are no dedicated medical services for children who experience sexual abuse, and no equity of care for children suspected of sexual abuse across the country.
In its letter to the minister, the foundation asks seven questions:
* When will dedicated and standardised multi-disciplinary training programmes for treating and diagnosing child sexual abuse be put in place in each region in Ireland?
* Will necessary medical equipment, formalised paths for referral and dedicated child screening facilities be provided?
* Who has responsibility and accountability for this?
* Is the conviction rate in Ireland for cases of child sexual abuse the same as that for other areas in Europe or lower because appropriate services are not in place?
* What is the national Irish Child Protection Training Strategy and is it compulsory?
* Can Ireland benchmark favourably for child sexual abuse services and child protection with other countries in Europe?
* Can Ireland demonstrate that child sexual abuse has been given any greater priority in terms ofactual service delivery and resources than was given to those whose abuse is detailed in the Ryan report?
Mr McGuinness claimed that Sexual Assault Referral Centres (SARCs) in Ireland have a remit for adults and children 14 years and over only, and nothing for children under that age.
Mr McGuinness said the minister had replied to the letter saying it was "receiving attention".
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