Child sexual abuse statistics point to urgent need for help, Sudbury doc says
Sudbury's hospital says it treats about 100 children each year for sexual and physical abuse.
At the Health Sciences North annual general meeting last week, a pediatrician said at least 30 per cent of Canadian children suffer sexual abuse.
Dr. Nicolas Steinmetz said one-in-three girls are sexually abused in Canada. He says the number for boys is one in eight.
"If they all had meningitis or something, there'd be panic in the streets. But this goes totally under the radar. Nobody knows about it."
The statistics are probably higher because sexual assault is under-reported, he added.
That's a small fraction of the kids affected, according to Nancy Horan, who runs the treatment program.
"They may be in situations where they can't come forward," she said.
"The abuser may be a parent or a close relative."
'So far, nothing has been done'
The hospital wants to put its services for child victims of sexual abuse in a new children's treatment centre, known as NEO Kids.
But the provincial agency that oversees health care in the northeast said it needs to see a stronger business case before the $55-million project goes ahead.
Steinmetz said he wants regional public health departments — like the North East Local Health Integration Network — to do more about child sexual abuse. He'd like to see more advocacy and counselling given to victims.
"The more you talk about it, then maybe people will be prosecuted and it becomes known and maybe we can reduce the incidents of something like this," he said.
"But so far, nothing has been done."