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	Lack of Child Services 'Unconscionable' By Patsy McGarry Irish Times April 28, 2010 http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/breaking/2010/0427/breaking53.html The Government's continuing failure to provide therapeutic and support services for sexually abused children has been described as "unconscionable" by CARI, a voluntary support agency for children. "We are set to fail this generation as surely as we have failed earlier (ones) unless we put these essential services in place immediately", its chief executive Mary Flaherty said. The agency's national clinical director Dr Niall Muldoon called for recognition that over 80 per cent of child abuse was by family members and other trusted adults. Both were speaking this morning in Dublin at the unveiling of CARI's 2008-2009 annual report. Founded in 1989, CARI provides therapy for children who have experienced sexual abuse. Statistics it presented today, as well as the HSE's 2008 report, showed there were 2,379 reports of child sexual abuse received in that year. Mary Flaherty urged the Government to immediately implement the recommendations of the Ferns 4 (Children) Working Group, which has been with the HSE since September of last year. The working group was set up following publication of the Ferns report in 2005, which investigated clerical child sex abuse in that Catholic diocese. The group examined and assessed the need for counselling services for children, young people and adults. It was split into a working group for the needs of adults and one looking at the needs of children and young people. Ms Flaherty said "it is scarcely believable that this report on the needs of child victims and their families is the last of the Ferns Working Groups to report and that specialist services for children are not yet available in the same way as those that exist for adults. There is a deafening and indefensible silence from both the HSE and the Minister for Children on this report to date." Dr Muldoon pointed out that the vast majority of CARI's clients in the two years covered by today's report, as in all its 20 year existence, had been abused by either family or other trusted persons. "It is time that we broaden our narrow focus on clerical abuse and Recognise that over 80 per cent of abused children are hurt by family members or other trusted adults. This should not be an either or scenario because the needs of both adult survivors, of clerical or other abuse, and children who are currently experiencing abuse should be adequately and urgently addressed," he said.
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