Counselling service reports 39% surge in calls
Connect, a national telephone-based counselling service for abuse victims, said it has seen a 39% increase in calls to the service this year, and that 67% of those calls reported being abused over a period of time as a child.
Connect received 6,288 calls from January to September 2009 compared with 4,505 calls during the same period in 2008.
It also recorded a 10% increase in calls received from men compared with the same period last year. Director of the service Anne Richardson maintains the main reason for the increase was the surge of calls following the release of the Ryan report, which shed light on years of clerical sex abuse in industrial schools in this country.
And as the country braces itself for yet another report chronicling clerical abuse – this time from the Dublin Archdiocese Commission of Investigation – Ms Richardson said it is anticipating another influx of calls.
“We are gearing up our service to provide extra opening hours surrounding the launch of the report. Things like this can stir up feeling and trigger things for people,” she said. “It is important for survivors to know professional counselling support is available to help them. Some may want to take part in a counselling programme... which may help them to take better control of their lives.” Ms Richardson said generally people who ring Connect have not accessed support services before.
A spokesperson for the Justice Department said the Dublin Archdiocese report would more than likely be made public towards the end of the week – possibly Thursday or Friday.
Archbishop Diarmuid Martin has warned the country will be shocked by the report, which is expected to pay particular attention to the handling of allegations by state and church authorities including 19 bishops, four of them archbishops of Dublin.
* Contact Connect at Freephone 1800 477477 or www.connectcounselling.ie
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