The number of children referred to social services in the South Eastern Trust has doubled since the death of Baby P in 2007 — and figures are expected to climb even higher this year.

The number of children in Northern Ireland on the child protection register has risen by 20%. On 31 March 2009, there were 2,488 children on the register, compared to 2,071 at the end of March 2008.

Two health trusts have publicly apologised for “inexcusable failures” surrounding the psychiatric treatment of a suicidal woman who smothered her daughter and then took her own life.

The scandal over paedophile priests has caused the Roman Catholic Church in Ireland to lose “all credibility”, the Archbishop of Canterbury has said.
 

The Vatican has moved to distance the Pope from the remarks of his personal preacher, hours after he compared allegations that the pontiff had covered up sex abuse cases to the “more shameful aspects of anti-Semitism”.

A reform of Northern Ireland’s current adult protection infrastructure has been unveiled by the Department of Health, Social Services and Public Safety (DHSSPS).

A NEW £3.5m state of the art Assessment and Resource Centre for clients with a range of disabilities in Lisburn has been officially opened by Health Minister Michael McGimpsey.

Campaigners had hoped that after his seven page letter on Saturday to Irish victims of child abusing priests in which he said he was “truly sorry” the Pope would use his weekly sermon to apologise in public.

The leader of Catholics in England and Wales has staunchly defended the Pope over his handling of the case of a US priest suspected of abusing children.

AS the Catholic Church reels from a week of accusations regarding child abuse and secret payments to victims, Newtownstewart parish priest Fr Stephen Kearney believes it may not be the last of the “bad news.”