THE NUMBER of people seeking counselling at the Dublin Rape Crisis Centre for childhood sexual abuse rose by almost 5 per cent last year and is up by more than 30 per cent since 2003.
The centre’s 2010 annual report also shows an 8.5 per cent rise in calls to its helpline relating to adult rape. Chief executive Ellen O’Malley-Dunlop said that more than half of the people attending therapy at the centre last year were dealing with issues of childhood sexual abuse.
She said demand for counselling services from child abuse victims had risen sharply over the past few years in particular, reflecting the impact of the Murphy and Ryan reports into clerical sex abuse in 2009.
Dublin Rape Crisis Centre national 24-hour helpline 1800 77 88 88
