"This is an epidemic" - Why can't we stamp out child sexual abuse in Ireland?

Warning: This episode features discussion of child sexual abuse.

Since an RTÉ radio documentary about child sexual abuse at Blackrock College aired last month, charity One In Four has been inundated with calls from survivors of abuse, seeking therapy and help in finding justice, often after decades of suffering in silence.

But the research shows that child sexual abuse is far from just a legacy issue in Ireland. And while more attention is paid to clerical abuse, most abuse today takes place within families.

A growing percentage of offences are related to online activities, in what One In Four CEO Maeve Lewis calls an "epidemic" of online child abuse that sometimes leads on to contact abuse.

Today we talk to Maeve about the shocking problem of child sexual abuse in Ireland, what can be done to prevent it, and how we are falling short.

You can contact One In Four during office hours: 01 6624070

You can contact the Rape Crisis Centre's National 24-Hour Helpline at 1800 77 8888, at any time of day or night. It offers a free and confidential listening and support service for anyone who has been raped, sexually assaulted, sexually harassed or sexually abused at any time in their lives.

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