Sexual assault treatment units at risk of closure

THE future of three of the country’s four sexual assault treatment units (SATUs) is in jeopardy because of a lack of funding and a shortage of staff.

A review of the treatment services, carried out on behalf of the Government, has found:

* The unit in the Rotunda Hospital in Dublin, which conducts 300 forensic medical examinations a year, “is now at crisis point” because of staffing difficulties.