CHI welcomes a landmark study on Forensic Medical Examinations of Children
Children’s Health Ireland (CHI) has today welcomed the publication of a landmark study examining five years of Forensic Medical Examinations (FME) in children and adolescents, carried out at CHI at Tallaght’s Laurel’s Clinic, one of Ireland’s three regional FME centres.
May 21, 2025
Research
Children’s Health Ireland (CHI) has today welcomed the publication of a landmark study examining five years of Forensic Medical Examinations (FME) in children and adolescents, carried out at CHI at Tallaght’s Laurel’s Clinic, one of Ireland’s three regional FME centres. The Laurel’s clinic is CHI’s paediatric medical service available to children and young people when a concern or disclosure of child sexual abuse (CSA) or sexual assault has been raised.
The study, published in Archives of Disease in Childhood, analysed 448 cases from 2018 to 2022 and highlights risk factors for CSA, including living in blended families, developmental concerns among children, and the growing number of adolescent or even pre-teen perpetrators. The study is the largest of its kind in the country and provides vital insights into the realities of child sexual abuse in Ireland.
Speaking on the findings, Dr. Sinéad Harty, Consultant Paediatrician at CHI and co-author of the study, said:
“This research paints a stark but necessary picture of the changing landscape of child sexual abuse in Ireland. One of the most concerning findings is the significant proportion of perpetrators who were themselves children or adolescents, which underlines the urgent need for improved education around consent, relationships and digital safety. As children gain earlier access to smartphones and online content, the risk landscape changes—and our public health and education responses must keep pace.”
“For us at Children’s Health Ireland, this study reaffirms the critical importance of early, sensitive, and specialist forensic medical assessment. It also highlights the need for clinicians, social workers, educators and policymakers to be aware that many children, particularly those with unexplained behavioural changes may be living with undisclosed trauma. We must remain vigilant, open, and child-centred in our care.”
The study revealed that nearly one-third of children seen at the Laurel’s Clinic lived in blended family settings, and 18% had developmental concerns such as autism or ADHD. It also noted that over 49% of children presented with behavioural changes, which when unexplained, may be one of the few early signs of abuse.
Dr. Harty and the research team hope these findings will prompt further national research and inform prevention strategies, legislative reform, and service planning.
About CHI and the Laurel’s Clinic:
The Laurel’s Clinic, operated in CHI at Tallaght, is a regional centre for the medical assessment of children who may have been sexually abused. It provides a safe, supportive environment for children up to 18 years of age: Laurel's clinic | Children's Health Ireland
CHI continues to advocate for an integrated, child-friendly, and trauma-informed national response to CSA, including the rollout of the Barnahus model of care.