8,000 cases of suspected abuse in 2000

More than 8,000 cases of suspected child abuse were referred to health boards in one year, it has emerged.

A total of 8,269 cases were referred and some 7,739 children were involved, according to the figures for 2000, recently released by the Minister of State for Health, Mr Brian Lenihan.

Of these, 3,085 were confirmed as abuse while 778 were deemed to be unfounded and in a further 1,904 cases assessments were inconclusive, Mr Lenihan said in a parliamentary reply to Labour's justice spokesman, Mr Joe Costello.

The allegations involved neglect and physical, emotional and sexual abuse.

Mr Costello said he was "shocked" at the "huge" number of cases. "I didn't realise that there was anything of that level of cases. The extent of the problem is very serious and we will have to look at the measures in place to deal with and prevent abuse."

Mr Costello had asked for figures on the number of foster children who were abused while in State care, but such statistics were not available. Mr Lenihan instead gave the overall figures for 2000, the latest year for which figures were available.