Over 2,000 suspected child abuse cases in 2010

THERE were more than 2,000 formal referrals between gardaí and the HSE in relation to child sex abuse during 2010, figures have revealed.

Figures obtained by the Irish Examiner reveal the extent of suspected child sex abuse across the state, but very few cases get as far as the courts, and even fewer are successfully prosecuted.

The Irish Examiner requested how many formal contacts there had been between the HSE and gardaí in relation to child sex abuse over the past number of years. Under child protection rules, the HSE must sent a notification form to local gardaí in the event of suspected child abuse.

Astonishingly, in both Roscommon and Mayo, despite high-profile abuse cases in the west over the past few years, the HSE said “data was not collected” for these counties.

Figures show there were 2,110 referrals of child sex abuse in 2010, and 2,187 during 2009. Most of these account for cases which were referred from the HSE to the gardaí as ordered by Children First guidelines.

It is understood 95% of the figures relate to independent cases.

However, the HSE South said it could not provide the data as requested as it would require the examination of too many records and instead provided the total number of referrals of child sex abuse received.

Broken down by HSE region, the figures show that counties in the Dublin North East area (Louth, Meath, Cavan/Monaghan, Dublin North west, Dublin Central and North Dublin) have averaged upwards of 400 notifications a year between them since 2006. In 2009, this peaked at 290 points of contact.

Dublin Mid-Leinster, which accounts for south county Dublin, Wicklow, Kildare, Laois/Offaly and Longford/Westmeath, reported 466 notifications in 2010 and 501 in 2009.

In the HSE West and HSE South, notifications were much lower and it is not clear if this is partly down to the way data was collected, or if there was a much lower rate of suspected abuse because of lower populations.

For example, in large counties with big urban areas such as Galway and Limerick, formal points of contact were surprisingly low. In Galway during 2010, there were 39 formal contacts between HSE and gardaí, and in Limerick, there were 60.

In Roscommon, the HSE said data simply was not collected. For Mayo, the HSE stated while there was no system in place to record such data, this would be implemented in 2012.

Figures from the DPP’s office, while not comparable year on year due to time taken for investigation by gardaí and consideration by the DPP, shows how few cases actually get to prosecution.

In 2009, just 146 files were sent to the DPP by gardaí in relation to sexual offences where the alleged victim was under 18. There were just 15 convictions at the end of 2009

Dr Derek Deasy, the director of the St Clare’s sexual abuse assessment and therapy unit at Temple Street hospital, said his unit had 230 referrals for assessment last year from the Dublin area which it serves. Dr Deasy said the work carried out at the unit forms part of supplementary evidence for gardaí.

However, he said only about 5% of cases they deal with get to court.

“The DPP is under pressure only to take cases which it can win. There are times too when families don’t want to take a case to court and that is a problem too,” he said.