Sexually abused children and their families are being subjected to “additional trauma” by having to wait an estimated five years before their court case is completed, according to a national therapy service, Cari.

Gardaí say there is “no doubt” that paedophiles in Ireland will import child sex dolls — and may already be doing so — and are examining if these objects are covered under Irish criminal laws.

The lack of dedicated sexual assault treatment units for children is adding “immensely” to the trauma of families trying to deal with child sex abuse.

Cormac O'Keefe examines the lack of sexual assault treatment units and the need for more sexual health and aftercare services nationwide.

A dating app being called 'Tinder for kids' has drawn widespread criticism from parents.

Gardaí have been forced to widen their search for the mother of a baby girl whose body was found among waste on a sorting conveyor after an autopsy revealed that the baby was born some weeks earlier than initially thought.

Apologies by governments for historical child sexual abuse “ring hollow” when children continue to be abused by the system, a leading charity has said.

The country’s specialist charity for child sex abuse victims has seen a 43% rise in the number of assaults on children perpetrated by children.

One of the country’s main groups for helping victims of sexual abuse has called the lack of services available “a national scandal” as it faces the prospect of not being able to accept new clients for up to four months amid mounting waiting lists for services.

No State-run agency can provide figures for how many children are on waiting lists for counselling, or how long these children have to wait to be seen.

Justice Minister Frances Fitzgerald has insisted her department and agencies are taking “robust measures” to protect children using the internet.

Young people are being warned that, once they upload sexualised images or videos of themselves online, they no longer have any control over what happens to them.

Children as young as two years old can be taught basic skills to help keep them safe from sexual predators, according to child protection groups.

More than a third of children sexually assaulted or raped are attacked by another minor, it has emerged.

Growing numbers of teenagers are being sexually assaulted or gang raped by other teens, a children’s charity has warned.

Children’s abuse group CARI saw a marked increase in calls about rape and sexual assault last year — while it has been forced to cut services due to lack of funding.

We, the undersigned, call on Minister for Justice and Equality Alan Shatter and all Oireachtas members to support amending the Courts Bill 2013 to regulate the admission of the counselling notes of the child witness in a sexual violence criminal case.

Children’s groups have demanded widespread changes to the administration and inspection of childcare settings after the Prime Time report raised serious concerns about the level of care being offered to families.

Watching as the prison doors finally closed behind her father, Fiona Doyle sent out a message of hope to rape victims fearful of not being believed: “There will be somebody. Somebody will listen to you.”

Sharp increases in sex crimes by juveniles is part of a wider sexualisation of children, according to a leading charity.

Supporters of rape victim Fiona Doyle are planning a solidarity rally outside Leinster House this weekend as anger over the handling of her case grows.

Children At Risk in Ireland (Cari), which treats victims of sexual abuse, has said it fears for the future of some services if it undergoes any further cuts to its funding.

Child protection organisations and senior gardaí have urged parents to monitor their children’s use of computers and smartphones after a video of a 14-year-old girl posing semi-naked was posted on the internet.

The highest paid barrister with the tribunal into garda corruption has been nominated as a High Court judge.

THE country’s only dedicated 24-hour examination service for child sexual assault victims dealt with more than one child a week last year — the youngest of whom was aged 18 months.

ONLY one in 80 perpetrators of child sexual abuse end up with a conviction, a leading survivors’ organisation has claimed.

TEENAGERS are being targeted and sexually abused the same way as adult women, according to a report.

CARI, the voluntary support body providing therapy and support to those affected by child sexual abuse, has reported 1,417 calls to their helpline over the past year.

DEFENCE solicitors in child abuse cases which go to court are increasingly looking for therapy notes in a bid to “get their client off the hook”, a children’s support group has said.

THE marked upsurge in demand for access to the confidential therapeutic files of children in therapy for sexual abuse is a worrying development that ought to be addressed as a matter of urgency.

THE HSE has ordered an investigation into how social services failed to intervene in what a judge described as the “torture” of eight children by their mother over seven years.

THE increase in child rape cases reported to the gardaí last year is the “tip of the iceberg” in relation to the true scale of child sexual abuse, a leading children’s charity said yesterday.

THE country’s leading organisation for supporting sexually abused children has launched a scathing attack on what it said was the Government’s year of broken promises.

CARI has said that it is sceptical about the possibility that constitutional changes on children's rights may be separated into two referendums.

THE Government yesterday pledged to step up its efforts on child protection, but was warned not to forget recommendations drafted in the aftermath of last year’s constitutional crisis.

A leading child sex abuse charity today urged the Government to overhaul laws protecting children as calls to its helpline continue to surge.

GARDAÍ are hopeful they will be able to build a case against a number of Irish paedophiles who accessed images of children as young as three years old being raped.

THE number of individual children being abused by more than one sex offender is on the increase, according to a national support organisation.

VICTIMS of sexual abuse regularly face traumatic waits of up to five years for trials, a support group for families and children warned yesterday.

FARMERS fearful of liability for accidental injury on their land can take some solace from a recent court decision which demonstrated the protection provided by the Occupiers Liability Act.

EX-JUNIOR health minister Chris Flood (FF) told the Mahon Planning Tribunal yesterday he was offered an inducement to support a development project while a member of Dublin County Council.

GARDAÍ yesterday appealed to a paedophile who assaulted seven boys to turn himself in after a judge lifted a court order prohibiting his identification.

Evelyn Ring