Child sexual assaults ‘tip of iceberg’

AN alarming rise in child sexual assaults for the first three months of this year is just “the tip of the iceberg” support group and counselling service Children At Risk in Ireland (CARI) said yesterday.

“There has been a substantial increase in demand for our services in the past year,” according to Mary Flaherty, the foundation’s national director. “There are also many more cases being processed through the courts which are not included in the figures.”

She was commenting on quarterly figures released this week by the Department of Justice. They show that although overall crime rates are down, some offences recorded a substantial increase. Convictions for child rape more than doubled in the past year.