Sexual abuse - Victims must take first brave step

The extent of sexual abuse and the scale of its impact across the community could not possibly have been perceived to be anywhere near the level revealed in the annual report of One in Four published yesterday.

One of the most startling facts to emerge from the victim support group was that as many as 750,000 victims in the country have either not sought support or reported their experiences.

According to the group’s director, Colm O’Gorman, some 1.3 million Irish citizens are living with the legacy of sexual violence and such abuse had major health and social implications that had so far not been addressed comprehensively.