In 1994, 1,770 cases of suspected child abuse were referred to the Southern Health Board, a 60 per cent increase on the previous year's figures. The increase in the number of referred cases can largely be accounted for by the heightened public awareness of the issue in recent years. We have come to the painful realisation that child abuse and child neglect occur in all sections of society and that the problem can no longer be kept under wraps. The squinting windows have been well and truly thrown open. Increased reporting, however, does not mean full reporting. We probably expect the number of referrals to increase in the coming years as people become more aware of the signs of abuse and children themselves gain in confidence. It is, therefore, vital to establish the best possible procedure to deal with this issue. In this regard I welcome the Government's commitment to child welfare: not only has full implementation of the 1991 childcare legislation been promised but we have now a Minister with specific responsibility for children — an appointment which was long overdue.
Commitment at central level, however, depends on commitment at local level, and in this regard I find last year's Southern Health Board figures especially disturbing. It is a social and political scandal that of the 1,770 cases of suspected child abuse referred to the Southern Health Board last year, 34 cases should still be awaiting assessment. Each week's delay represents an obvious danger to the child, if he or she is, indeed, a victim of child sexual abuse. There is not only a danger of the abuse being prolonged, but, depending on individual circumstances, the delay may also cause irreparable emotional and psychological damage to the child. In this regard there is a clear need for regulations stipulating the maximum time that may elapse between a case being referred to a health board and final assessment.
I am also concerned at the large number of cases deemed by the Southern Health Board to be inconclusive. "Inconclusive" is the same as "not proven". The presumption of innocence is central to a civilised code of justice in any country, but in the case of child abuse we have to balance that presumption of innocence with an option for the child. What this means, in essence, is that cases deemed to be inconclusive should still be subject to ongoing monitoring until the allegations have been adequately disproven.
I am well aware that continuous monitoring of a large number of cases would place a huge burden on the health board in terms of personnel and resources. I am also aware that such monitoring could be viewed as invasion of a family's privacy. I would be delighted to hear alternative suggestions for dealing with the large number of inconclusive cases and I hope that, as we deal with the various issues thrown up by the child abuse crisis, children will not be used as a party political football.
In dealing with the increasing number of cases referred to the health boards we have to ensure that the interests of the child are paramount. We have to ensure also that neither children nor adults are dissuaded from reporting cases of child abuse or neglect in the future.
I use the term "child abuse" in the broadest possible context. Will the Minister tell me how many cases of child sex abuse were prosecuted last year, the number of inconclusive cases and what happens afterwards in terms of monitoring? In cases where no legal proceedings have been taken but the cases of sexual abuse have been found to be conclusive, what has been the outcome and why has a case not been taken?
