Between 18-21 May 2026, Dr Joanne Nelson, Clinical Director CASATS, The Hazel Clinic @ Barnahus West, had the privilege of participating as an invited member of the teaching faculty, in the bi-annual International Course on Child Abuse Paediatrics at the Sorbonne Université and Université Paris Cité, Paris in collaboration with the American Academy of Pediatrics, FHU Child, ISCPAN and the Institut Pour La Recherche En Santé Publique. Other faculty members included international leaders in the field from USA, Sweden, Germany, Netherlands, Spain, New Zealand and France with over 200 attendees, all clinicians caring for children from 23 countries. Dr Nelson presented “Building a National Barnahus Network: The Irish Experience” and delivered an interactive slide show of physical signs, teaching and practical clinical workshops on aspects of forensic medical examination in child sexual assault. Other topics covered included physical abuse in children including clinical signs, medical and radiological workup, outcomes and personal experiences of infant abusive head trauma, professional ethics in child abuse investigations, new literature updates, online child sexual exploitation, fabricated or induced illness, child maltreatment prevention strategies, effective court testimony, public advocacy, denialism, mental health consequences of abuse. The course provided a forum for meaningful interaction with colleagues from across the world who work in a variety of clinical settings with an internationally renowned faculty of experts. The course gave the opportunity for Barnahus Ireland to showcase best practice in interagency collaboration for cases of child sexual harm.
