Martin to open abuse counselling service

A Cork-based counselling and support service for children and families affected by sexual abuse will be officially opened by the Minister for Health and Children, Mr Martin, today.

The Children at Risk in Ireland (CARI) foundation first offered the service in the city in 2001, with just two families attending. It now has more than 15 and a "considerable" waiting list, despite having doubled the number of therapy sessions it offers each week at the Dominican Centre, Pope's Quay.

Recent publicity about child pornography and abuse is expected to attract further demand for the service, says the charity's director, Ms Eileen Prendiville.

"Any kind of publicity around these issues increases the clients," she notes, "but does not increase the funding."

Delays in the criminal justice system prevent children and families from receiving therapy when it is needed most, Ms Prendiville continued. "It can be months or years before children get into therapy because they are not supposed to be interviewed while a case is ongoing. Only 3 per cent of cases go to court but they are all handled in a legalistic way.

"We need to adopt a more child-centred approach to these cases."

CARI is unique in the Republic in offering counselling to both victims and non-abusing adults and children, she says, adding that the latter can suffer "just as big a trauma" by having a family member registered as a sex offender.

"The family of someone convicted for watching child porn would be potential clients of ours. So too a family where one member abused someone from outside that family."

Stressing the gravity of child pornography, she said studies showed that more than a third of people caught downloading it were found guilty of sexually abusing at least one child. The use of child pornography also helps a sexual offender to overcome their "internal inhibitors".

As for the family of an offender, she notes: "It is not possible to support everyone. You sometimes have to choose between the family member (who was found to have offended) and the victim. A lot of it comes down to individual circumstances and whether the perpetrator is prepared to be accountable and has taken corrective measures."

Established in 1989, CARI runs two full-time centres in Dublin and Limerick, and satellite therapy services in Tralee, Arklow and Navan. A Galway service is due to open next month.

Appointments for the Cork service can be arranged through CARI's Limerick office at (061) 413331. The foundation's State-wide helpline can be contacted on 1890 924567, or 1830 8523 from Britain and Northern Ireland.