Automatic 50% remission for seriously violent and dangerous offenders in Northern Ireland will end next year, the security minister has said.

The support group for victims of sexual abuse, One In Four, has said that only three out of every 1,000 alleged child sexual offences lead to a prosecution or conviction.

Domestic violence accounts for almost half of all cases heard at the Family Law courts and 40pc of safety orders are granted by judges.

More than 40 nurses are absent from work every day because of ill health at one of the country’s busiest hospitals.

Irish couples hoping to adopt children from abroad may soon have two more places to choose from — but only if the countries can overcome key legal barriers.

Harrowing cases of children being urinated on, kicked in the stomach or seeing their mother raped were reported to the Women’s Aid domestic abuse helpline last year.

{mosimage}The support organisation said incidents where the perpetrator was abusing the child of a relationship as well as the mother rose by 29pc in 2006.

In a number of cases the abuse occured during access visits and one fifth were ex-partners or ex-husbands — showing that violence can occur even where a woman has taken steps through separation or other orders to protect themselves and their children.

Director Margaret Martin said: “We respond to around 12,000 calls every year which shows domestic violence is still a huge problem within society.

“This year we are particularly concerned at the increase in specific incidents of child abuse and the nature of the abuse such as violent beatings or urinating on a child”.

She expressed particular concern about the numbers of women who continue to be abused after they have left relationships and the vulnerability of children in these situations.

“With 70pc of our court accompaniments being repeat visits to court, it again highlights the legal system as failing to adequately protect women and children from domestic violence”.

The statistics released yesterday show that last year the helpline received 11,994 calls — most involved emotional abuse, one quarter physical abuse and five per cent related to sexual abuse which is traditionally not disclosed by women experiencing domestic violence.

Health cutbacks have forced the country’s only rehabilitation hospital to close its doors to new patients who have suffered a stroke, brain and spinal injuries, it was confirmed last night.

Child victims of domestic violence still miss their abusive fathers and want to see them, a new report has found.

The mother of two pupils who have special educational needs today said her children are being denied their human rights as a result of the classroom assistants’ dispute.

An addiction centre in County Down which was closed in August will reopen within weeks after moves to resolve health and safety issues.