Experts at clinic for sex abuse victims end aid

Forensic medical examiners for victims of child sex abuse, who run the only specialist clinic of its kind in Ireland, have withdrawn their services.

The move comes after the doctors discovered a clause in a new contract which means the HSE will not recognise the service as a professional medical entity, the doctors said.

Galway’s exemplar service, running since 2011 with a 24-hour rota and forensic paediatric expertise, has been running on “the same contracts used for plumbers” since it was set up, said Joanne Nelson, clinical director of the Galway Child and Adolescent Sexual Assault Treatment Service (CASATS), said.