Kincora Boys Home.
The “darkest corners” of the State and security services must be probed to ensure the victims of sex abuse in Kincora Boys’ Home get justice, Derry SDLP MLA Colum Eastwood has said.
Mr Eastwood made the comments during an Assembly debate on allegations of sexual abuse at the Belfast boys’ home during the 1970s and 1980s.
The Foyle MLA called for the “shocking revelations” to be investigated by the Westminster inquiry into child abuse led by Lord Mayor of London Fiona Woolf given that many of the Kincora issues were outside the remit of Justice Hart’s Historical Institutional Abuse Inquiry.
He said: “Very good work is being done in the Justice Hart inquiry and through the Acknowledgement Forum.
“We have to ensure that work continues and that we get to a point where we can look at reparation and possible expansion – whether through that inquiry or a further one – into the issues around clerical abuse.
“However, we understand that the issues around Kincora are outside the abilities of the Justice Hart inquiry to get to the truth.
“We need to ensure that the inquiry into Kincora, while not diminishing victims’ rights around the acknowledgement forum, investigates properly what the State and the security services have done.
“I think at this stage that responsibility should rest with the Woolf inquiry.”
Mr Eastwood paid tribute to the campaigners who have made an immense impact in the search for truth and justice for those have suffered child abuse.
He said: “Organisations like Survivors and Victims of Institutional Abuse (SAVIA) have done immense work to bring that issue to the fore and to ensure that the House and the Executive make good strides to try to bring about justice for all those people.”
Mr Eastwood added: “We have had a very difficult and bad experience when it comes to what State agencies have been allowed to get away with and what they have been allowed to cover up.
“Victims have not been allowed to get near the truth or justice.”
Mr Eastwood concluded: “We need to make sure that every bright light is shone into the darkest corners of the State and the security services in order to ensure that those people who are still struggling and striving for truth and justice with regard to Kincora and other issues are allowed to see those files and to act upon them.”
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