The sexual abuse of a defenceless child is a heinous crime which greatly disturbs all of us. It goes without saying that any child who has been the unfortunate victim of such abuse should receive every possible support.
Responsibility for monitoring and coordinating the investigation and management of alleged cases of child abuse, including child sexual abuse, rests with the health boards as part of the child care services provided within the community care programme. Whenever an investigation into an alleged case of child sexual abuse confirms that abuse has taken place, the relevant health board arranges to make available appropriate counselling and other support services for the unfortunate victim.
A number of important initiatives in relation to child abuse have been taken by my Department and by the health boards in recent years. In 1987 my Department published detailed child abuse guidelines which set out clearly the steps to be taken by the various parties involved in the identification, investigation and management of all forms of child abuse, including child sexual abuse.
In the Eastern Health Board area units for the investigation and management of alleged child sexual abuse were established early in 1988 at Temple Street Hospital and Our Lady's Hospital for Sick Children, Crumlin. During the same year a special allocation was made to each of the other seven health boards to enable them to establish appropriate services in their areas. Services are now in place in each health board area; some of them are based in a particular hospital in the region while others are provided on a community basis.
I am generally satisfied with the range of assessment services that are now available. However, I am conscious of the need for further developments in the long term treatment of victims of child abuse, including improvements in the level of child and adolescent psychiatric provision. Towards this end my Department have approved the development of child and adolescent psychiatric services in the North-Eastern, North-Western, MidWestern and South-Eastern Health Board areas, funded with special moneys made available under the Programme for Economic and Social Progress. It is my intention to continue to develop these services as available resources permit.
In come instances, of course, it is regrettably the case that child sexual abuse does not come to light until the victim reaches adulthood. An increasing number of adults who were sexually abused as children are reporting their horrendous experiences and seeking professional help in coming to terms with those experiences.
Many past victims of child sexual abuse contact the rape crisis centres for assistance. There are currently seven rape crisis centres operating throughout the country located in the following areas — Dublin, Cork, Limerick, Galway, Waterford, Clonmel and Tralee. The Tralee centre opened earlier this year. Services provided by each centre focus predominantly on counselling, both by telephone and on a face to face basis, to victims of recent and past rape attacks and also to adult victims of child sexual abuse. There is increasing recognition of the complementary role of the work of the rape crisis centres with that of the statutory health services in providing a comprehensive service for victims of rape and sexual abuse.
I would like to conclude by assuring the Deputy that I have every sympathy for the unfortunate victims of child sexual abuse and that I am fully committed to the development of services to help them. Our full energies are directed at ensuring that services are provided for children who are identified as having been sexually abused and for adult victims of such abuse who come forward. The services which I have outlined are a clear indication of the serious efforts being made by the Government to address this difficult problem.
