One in Four reports huge surge in new clients

The One-in-Four support group says it has experienced a huge surge in new clients in the months following the publication of the Ryan Report on institutional child abuse.

The organisation says it dealt with 611 clients in the past three months, compared to a total of 501 clients throughout the whole of 2008.

Its annual report for 2008 reveals that one fifth of clients had experienced clerical abuse, while almost half were abused by members of their own family.

Twenty-two sex offenders also participated in the group's treatment programmes.