As many as 52 prosecution files from the PSNI's child abuse investigation unit working in Fermanagh were sent to the Public Prosecution Service in the last financial year.

The shocking statistics show that the majority, 42, of these Fermanagh cases were sexual abuse files. Ten were files relating to physical abuse. The numbers of Fermanagh files are twice those emanating from Omagh investigations. 71 per cent of sexual abuse referrals received by police are current cases while 29 per cent are historical.

Many of the cases are within families. "The cases we deal with reflect a range of issues, some of them of a very serious nature. It is fair to say that many arise within family relationships. We get a great many calls and referrals from a wide range of people, and we welcome them," said Detective Inspector Brian Foster, who is responsible for the PSNI Public Protection Unit (PPU) in F District.

And it would appear that the recent numbers of child abuse files are the norm. "The figures would be consistent over the past three years. The year before was quite similar. We are a small unit with a very busy and heavy workload. The number of cases forwarded to the Public Prosecution Service is evidence of the volume of work we actually conduct. We would receive referrals on a daily basis, mainly from Social Services on child protection matters," he said.

"We do have a highly trained and highly motivated team within the Public Protection Unit in this district and we work closely with other agencies. If an issue arises, it is important that it is dealt with at an early stage when early intervention can produce the best possible result for those affected, for their families and for the community," DI Foster added.

The figures are revealed in the Western Area Child Protection Committee annual report. It also reveals the rates of children per 1,000 on the Child Protection Register in Fermanagh are the highest in the Western Health Trust area, which spans from Derry to Fermanagh. There are 115 Fermanagh children on the Child Protection Register, a rate of 7.7 children per 1,000. In Omagh there are 86 children. Only Derry, at 165, has more with but has a lower rate of 5.6 per 1,000.

The report makes uncomfortable reading given high-profile tragedies involving young children in the area.

Former Social Work manager Councillor Frank Britton said the "particularly high" numbers of Fermanagh children on the Child Protection Register was "quite shocking".

"Child abuse is a major, major issue in this county. It is something we all have to be aware of. It also means that the child protection sector should be appropriately resourced in order to deal with that," he said. "We need as a community to understand the horror that is child abuse, the extent of it in our community and the proper way to deal with it in order to protect children and young people. We must acknowledge the vital work carried out by everyone involved in child protection work on our behalf, work that is extremely demanding and not without personal risk," he added. And the numbers of potential and confirmed cases of physical and sexual abuse of children on the Child Protection Register across the Western Trust area have "increased significantly" in the last three years and the number of confirmed cases of neglect has shown a "huge increase", says the report.

The recent figures of those on the Child Protection Register for the Omagh and Fermanagh area show there were 16 cases of confirmed physical abuse, seven cases of confirmed sexual abuse and 44 cases of confirmed neglect. There are 121 boys and 110 girls in the Western Trust's southern sector on the Register.

Increased numbers on the Child Protection Register reflect the "increased numbers of children in need". "Other contributory factors include public concern about high profile child cases and the impact of deepening family poverty as a result of economic recession," the Child Protection Committee's annual report says.

With this worrying backdrop, the report draws attention to "capacity issues in the system" with a backlog of unallocated or unassesssed cases and a backlog of minutes. There are significant pressures on social workers in the Gateway first port of call service and the family intervention service due to paper work, staff sickness and turnover.

And the risks of unallocated or unassessed cases is starkly evident in the Case Management Reviews the Committee has undertaken.

The Area Child Protection Committee reports involvement in six case management reviews and three individual agency reviews. A case management review takes place in serious circumstances including the death of a child.

The reviews document stories of 13 unidentified children in the Western area. 11 children died and one death was preventable. One of the children was on the child protection register. Nine had been referred to social workers but were unallocated cases.

"Unallocated cases carry unacceptable risks," the report notes.

The majority of parents had already been profiled in statutory services such as child care/mental health/PSNI. Compromised parenting is a major issue, the report notes. Many of the children involved were very young: six at pre-school children and five at primary school and two teenagers.

Looking at the report, Councillor Britton said that family circumstances such as alcohol and substance abuse were frequently present in these cases. "Relationship and lifestyle issues can have a significant impact on the safety and well-being of a child," he said.

Unallocated cases also consequently put pressure on health visitors. "High numbers of unallocated cases are impacting on Health Visiting Services and Health Visitors are carrying increasing numbers of high-risk cases of vulnerable families that should have statutory social work input. This is inappropriate and needs to be addressed," says the report.

The number of child protection referrals has steadily risen over the past three years, having decreased in the preceding five years. The figure of 250 in the southern sector of the Trust, which includes Fermanagh, is almost twice what it was in 2000-01.

The number of child protection investigations in the Trust southern sector which is the Fermanagh and Omagh area (113) in 2008/09 is down on the previous year but has been generally on the increase since the beginning of the decade when the figure was 68.

68 per cent of children in the southern sector have been on the child protection register for more than a year. There is a trend towards long-term registration reflecting increased case complexity.

During the course of the year, concerns were also raised at meetings of the area committee about the "increasing numbers of children and young people who were coming to the attention of police and social services because of their sexually harmful behaviour". A service design proposal has been developed, subject to funding, to deliver a service to young people and their families.