750,000 not reported sex abuse, says group

THE Government has been urged to implement a national strategy to respond to sexual violence on the basis that up to 750,000 men and women have still not reported or sought support for their experiences of sex abuse as children.

The One in Four charity, which helps the victims of child sex abuse, said the State had so far failed to address the major health and social implications caused by such a large portion of the population experiencing sexual violence.

Based on the landmark SAVI (Sexual Abuse and Violence in Ireland) report published a few years ago, One in Four estimates that 35% of all adults will experience sexual violence at some stage in their life with 27% of children experiencing such abuse before the age of 17.