Tusla reports doubling of children in State care who may have been targeted for sexual exploitation

A spokeswoman for Tusla said: 'Tusla partnered with MECPATHS (an organisation which works with agencies to counter child trafficking) in early 2022 to provide frontline staff across our services with training on how to recognise indicators of Child Trafficking in Ireland, thus increasing the agency’s capacity to respond to this evolving area of need.'

The number of reports of young people suspected of being at risk of sexual exploitation while in State care more than doubled last year, according to latest figures from Tusla.

The Child and Family Agency has revealed to the Irish Examiner that 50 such reports were notified to gardaí and the agency last year — up from 22 the previous year. Up to early May, 14 such reports have been made this year.

According to the agency, 16 reports have also been made concerning the sexual exploitation of children residing in the community, along with a further nine such cases up to early May this year.

Almost a year ago, the Protecting Against Predators study, published by the Sexual Exploitation Research Project (SERP) at University College Dublin (UCD) highlighted that children and young people, and in particular girls, in residential care or who go missing while in State care, are being targeted for sexual exploitation in an organised manner by co-ordinated networks, or gangs, of predatory men.

The report called for a risk audit of those residential care institutions by the Health Information and Quality Authority (Hiqa). They are currently overseen by Tusla, although some are run by private contractors.

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A spokeswoman for Tusla told the Irish Examiner that the agency is “acutely aware of and shares the State’s concerns regarding the increased risk of child and human trafficking or exploitation of vulnerable young people, particularly in the context of the increased global movement of people”.

She said that a Child Sexual Exploitation Procedure was drawn up in consultation with gardaí and implemented in early 2021 to assist “professionals in identifying and protecting children who may be at risk of sexual exploitation”.

This, she said, led to a centralised reporting pathway to gardaí being established for the investigation of child sexual exploitation. She added: “This collaboration helps professionals identify and protect children who may be at risk by working together under a joint policy and procedure. 

"In addition, Tusla partnered with MECPATHS (an organisation which works with agencies to counter child trafficking) in early 2022 to provide frontline staff across our services with training on how to recognise indicators of Child Trafficking in Ireland, thus increasing the agency’s capacity to respond to this evolving area of need. 

"This training has been extended to include frontline staff in the community and voluntary services that we fund, particularly those providing residential care.” 

Since the CSE procedure was launched in January 2021, Tusla has submitted reports concerning the sexual exploitation of 93 children in the care of Tusla and 34 children residing in the community.

Researcher at SERP, Ruth Breslin, said that the number of children at risk of exploitation — in the community as well as in care, is a concern. She said that the SERP research released last year helped to raise awareness and understanding of the risks of sexual exploitation posed to children in care.

Ms Breslin queried whether the 50 cases reported last year are isolated from each other, or are any linked.

She accepted that children are at risk of sexual exploitation whether or not they are in care, citing recent research from the University of Edinburgh which highlighted that one in eight of the world's children have been victims of non-consensual talking, sharing and exposure to sexual images and video in the past year.