A charity that works with children affected by sexual abuse said today it has seen a rise in the number of calls to its helpline alleging abuse by multiple perpetrators.
The announcement was made as gardaí confirmed that one of its members has been suspended from duty due to his alleged participation in a paedophile ring.
The trainee garda, who is believed to be based in Dublin, is suspected of arranging for a 14-year-old boy to have sex with a number of adults, including a teacher, over a 12 month period.
"The experience of the child in this case is the experience shared by some of Cari's child clients who have disclosed incidents of being abused by multiple perpetrators," said Mary Flaherty, chief executive officer of Cari.
The charity is advising parents to talk to their children in an "age appropriate" language on how to act if approached by someone they do not know, or are solicited to do something that feels wrong by someone they know.
It also noted that grooming of a child is not currently an offence and said that it believed that the recommendation of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Child Protection on this matter should be acted on immediately.
