Abuse of children in residential care to be researched in new study
Roderic O'Gorman said the lead researcher was appointed in February. Picture: Damien Storan/PA
The abuse of children in residential care settings is to be researched as part of a new study into organisational and institutional abuse.
The research has been commissioned by the Department of Children and Tusla, the Child and Family Agency.
Minister for Children Roderic O’Gorman said in response to a parliamentary question that the lead researcher was appointed in February after a procurement process.
“It is intended that the commissioned research will also look at the findings, learnings, and recommendations of seminal reports on abuse of children in residential care settings, such as the Rotherham report, and the Rochdale inquiry,” he said.
The Rotherham report found that 1,400 children were sexually exploited in the South Yorkshire town between 1997 and 2013.
A report in relation to the Rochdale scandal found that Greater Manchester Police and Rochdale Council failed to properly investigate reports of abuse between 2004 and 2013.
A Sexual Exploitation Research Programme report last year found that children and young people in residential care or who go missing while in State care are being targeted for sexual exploitation.
The revealed last month that 22 children in State care who went missing between January 1 and April 10 remained missing. Some 19 of those still missing are separated children seeking international protection, Mr O’Gorman said.
JP O’Sullivan of the anti-child trafficking non-profit MECPATHS said it is a concern that young people in State care have disappeared while seeking international protection. According to Tusla, some unaccompanied minors in care “communicate their intention to travel on to other countries to join family members”.
Mr O’Sullivan questioned how children “are able to navigate transport networks and what network is allowing them to travel on their own out of the country”.
