Depression Clinic

Surge in demand for abuse support

One in Four has announced a huge increase in requests for psychotherapy and advocacy services by survivors of childhood sexual abuse since the publication of the Ryan report.

The support group's newly-released annual report shows that it has accommodated more new clients since the publication of the Ryan report than in 2008 as a whole.

One in Four executive Director Maeve Lewis said by placing the history of systemic institutional abuse on the public record, the Ryan Commission has removed any doubts about the veracity of the accounts of survivors of institutional abuse.

"This has encouraged people who previously feared hey would not be believed to come forward and seek help," she said.

Ms Lewis said many of the people who contacted One in Four are survivors of the institutions, but the report has also helped people who were abused in other contexts to reach out.

"Our clients' stories tell us that child sexual abuse is endemic in every area of Irish society; in the home, at school, in the neighbourhood."

One in Four says the surge in demand for services has made it very difficult to respond to survivors in a timely way. It says services for survivors require adequate resourcing by the Government.