NATIONAL PROSECUTORS' CONFERENCE: Provisional figures compiled by the Department of Health and Children indicate that there were 2,104 cases of child sexual abuse in the Republic, involving 1,991 children, for the year 2000.
Of these, 517 were confirmed cases, 182 non-confirmed and 561 inconclusive. Some 844 cases were still under assessment at the time the statistics were prepared.
The figures were cited by Ms Rhonda Turner, principal psychologist at St Louise's Unit, Our Lady's Hospital for Sick Children, Dublin, at the third national prosecutors' conference at the Royal Hospital Kilmainham, at the weekend. The theme of her address was "Understanding a Child's Evidence".
The Garda had confirmed that the total detected sexual crimes for the year 2000 in cases where the injured party was under the age of 18 was 289. That was over a third less than the 517 cases confirmed during the year, Ms Turner noted.
In the light of the low detection rate, allied to their level of expertise in this area, child psychologists were concerned at the regular collapse of trials involving alleged child sexual offenders. "We were acutely aware that cases where children, who we believe had been sexually abused, were not resulting in convictions." More often than not the child had given inconsistent information during evidence, which was felt to be the basis of the acquittal. If somebody had been called to give evidence as to why a sexually-abused child had been "inconsistent", the outcome might have been different.
Children's evidence had been dismissed by the courts on the grounds that they were unreliable, egocentric or suggestible. Children had difficulty distinguishing fact from fantasy, it was often held, and made false allegations, particularly of sexual assault. And they did not "understand the duty" to tell the truth in court.
Many abused children felt they were not believed when their cases did not proceed to trial - and when they gave evidence in court and the accused was found not guilty.
Only 4 per cent of confirmed cases of child sexual abuse "based on expert opinion" ever proceeded to trial, said Ms Turner. The number of cases resulting in conviction was even less.