The Laurel’s clinic is the paediatric medical service that is available to children and young people when a concern or disclosure of child sexual abuse or sexual assault has been raised.
We provide acute (forensic) examinations in children up to the age of 14 years and non-acute examinations in children up to the age of 16 years.
When you come to our clinic, we will talk to a doctor or nurse who has special training in forensic examinations to decide if we need to collect DNA evidence. If we do collect DNA evidence, it will be used in as part of a garda investigation.
Contact us
To find out more about this service please contact
General enquiries:
Laurels Clinic, CHI at Tallaght, Dublin 24. Tel: 01 6406501 or 087 1253150 E-mail: laurels.clinic@nchg.ie
Our services
The team in the Laurels Clinic uses a trauma-informed approach. We believe that the medical assessment can have a therapeutic benefit for the child. Aspects of the assessment may include the following:
general health assessment
documentation, assessment and treatment of any possible injuries
recovery of forensic (DNA) evidence
screening and treatment of sexually transmitted infections as required
emergency contraception
post exposure prophylaxis for HIV
vaccination for Hepatitis B virus/HPV
adolescent focussed health assessment
onward referral to other services
Forensic medical examinations for children and young people up to 14 years of age, where there is a concern or disclosure of child sexual abuse within a forensic timeframe (young people 14 years and over can attend their local Sexual Assault Treatment Unit – see www.hse.ie/satu)
Medical examination for children and young people up to 16 years of age, where there is a concern or disclosure of child sexual abuse, and the initial referral is made outside a forensic timeframe.
Children and young people from Dublin, Wicklow and Kildare, who have had an experience of sexual abuse, can also be referred for assessment and/or therapy to St Louise’s or St Claire’s Units in Children’s Health Ireland
Referrals to our clinic usually come from Emergency Departments, GPs, Tusla (the statutory organisation mandated with child protection), and An Garda Síochána.
All children who are being referred to the Laurels Clinic must also be referred to Tusla for assessment.
