THE number of calls from Britain to a counselling charity for Irish abuse survivors have risen over the last two years.
Connect, an out of hours telephone service, answered 2,600 calls in the first half of the year with around 90 of those coming from British-based victims of abuse.
A total of 3.5 per cent of overall calls in the first six months of 2014 came from here, almost double that of 2012, which was 1.7 per cent or about 44 callers.
Although the overall British figures remain low, Connect says the announcement of the Mother and Baby Home Inquiry in the Republic of Ireland has resulted in more calls from family members of people who spent time in institutions.
Connect Service Manager Theresa Merrigan said that many callers who contact the charity have exhausted services elsewhere.
“The high level of need amongst many callers points to a lack of intense psychotherapy places for callers with severe childhood trauma,” she said. “Very often the challenging behaviour of people who have suffered severe childhood trauma means that they find it difficult to access adequate services.”
She added: “This is an on-going concern for the Connect Service, which is telephone based and therefore unable to provide callers with all the supports that they need. It can be difficult to know where to signpost such callers to as they often have difficult relationships with their local mental health team or psychiatrist.”
Almost 70 per cent of callers to Connect so far this year reported physical, sexual or emotional abuse.
Of these 45 per cent reported that the abuse happened within the family home.
A further 26 per cent reported that they had experienced abuse in their community and 15 per cent reported abuse in institutions.
Ms Merrigan said the figures go against the common perception that abuse in the island of Ireland has been largely an institutional problem.
Connect is available at freephone 00800 477 477 77 from Britain and 1800 477 477 from the Republic of Ireland.
