The National Board for Safeguarding Children in the Catholic Church in Ireland (NBSCCCI) released its 2024 annual report, covering the period from 1 April 2024 to 31 March 2025, revealing a significant uptick in new allegations of historical child abuse.
Newsroom, June 12, 2025, Gaudium Press – The report highlights a 52.8% increase in abuse notifications, with 385 new allegations recorded compared to 252 in the previous reporting period (2023/24), marking the highest number since the board began publishing figures in 2009.
Aidan Gordon, CEO of the NBSCCCI, attributed the surge to the September 2024 release of the Report of the Scoping Inquiry into Historical Sexual Abuse in Day and Boarding Schools run by Religious, led by Mary O’Toole SC. The inquiry and its subsequent media coverage appear to have emboldened survivors to come forward. “These events in September 2024 seem to have given individuals renewed strength to tell of their experiences,” Gordon stated. “While this is undoubtedly an extremely difficult undertaking for those who have suffered any type of abuse as a child, it is good to be able to begin to address that trauma.”
The report details that 73% of the allegations (282 of 385) pertain to incidents between 1960 and 1989, consistent with trends in recent years. Only 0.5% (2 cases) relate to incidents after 2000, though 12% (47 cases) lack a specific timeframe. Additionally, requests for safeguarding advice rose slightly from 281 to 287 during the reporting period.
The 2024/25 period marked the final year of reviews under the 2016 child safeguarding policy, with all dioceses and religious orders assessed. The findings, available at safeguarding.ie, indicate ongoing improvements in safeguarding practices. The NBSCCCI anticipates launching a new review process by the end of 2025, evaluating practices under the updated 2024 Church policy, which comprises three standards aimed at ensuring safe and welcoming environments for children in Church activities.
Gordon emphasized the Church’s commitment to continuous improvement, stating, “We fully expect that the significant advancements evidenced from 2016 to 2024 will continue as the Church strives to ensure ministry for and with children is safe and welcoming.”
The report underscores both the enduring impact of historical abuse and the ongoing efforts to address it, as the NBSCCCI works to support survivors and strengthen safeguarding measures.
Raju Hasmukh with Sources:
– National Board for Safeguarding Children in the Catholic Church in Ireland, Annual Report 2024, safeguarding.ie.
– Report of the Scoping Inquiry into Historical Sexual Abuse in Day and Boarding Schools run by Religious, Mary O’Toole SC, September 2024.
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