Options paper on historical child abuse in Northern Ireland issued to Executive

The Minister for Health, Social Services and Public Safety, Michael McGimpsey has today issued an options paper to Executive colleagues regarding potential ways forward on dealing with historical child abuse in Northern Ireland.

Mr McGimpsey agreed to prepare a paper for the Executive after the Northern Ireland Assembly passed a motion expressing concern at the findings of the Ryan Commission report.

The motion also called on the Executive to commission an assessment of the extent of abuse and neglect in Northern Ireland.

The Minister said: "The twin issues of historical institutional and clerical abuse are very complex and responding to them in a sensitive and meaningful way represents a huge challenge for all of us. At the heart of this are all the victims, who as children suffered terrible abuse at the hands of those who were supposed to be protecting and caring for them.

“I have therefore today issued an Executive paper which will enable the Executive as a whole to form a view on the way ahead.

"The issues involved here are extensive and complex and I have sought to reflect that complexity in the paper. Our intention is to ensure that in meeting the needs of victims whether by issuing apologies, establishing inquiries or setting up new compensation arrangements, that no victims are left behind.

"Important choices will now have to be made but I believe that action must be taken to address the pain and distress caused to so many victims.”

The Minister continued: "Whilst our response must consider the needs of victims of historical abuse, I believe that those who perpetrated abuse should be investigated by the police and where appropriate be subject to the full rigours of the law.

“It is clear that some of the individuals who perpetrated this abuse, both in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, are still alive and pose a potential risk now and in the future to children. I would urge anyone with any information on abuse to report it to the police immediately."

Safeguards are in place within Northern Ireland to protect children and other vulnerable groups, but the Minister said these will only be fully effective if the names of persons who have abused are known to the police.

He continued: "It is essential that information on people who have abused is shared as part of our safeguarding arrangements so that they can be monitored and investigated by the police.

“We know that people who pose a risk to children can and do cross borders to abuse and to try to evade detection. Our response must reflect this and should involve addressing some of the issues in conjunction with other administrations within the UK and with the Republic of Ireland.”

Notes for editors:

1. The Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse (Ryan Commission) was one of a number of measures introduced by the Irish Government in May 1999 to respond to revelations of abuse of children from 1940 to1999 in institutions run by the State and various constituent parts of the Roman Catholic Church (RCC) within the Republic of Ireland. The Report was presented on 20 May 2009 and made 21 recommendations aimed at alleviating and addressing the effects of the abuse on those who had suffered and preventing and reducing the incidence of abuse of children in institutions.

2. Separate from the Ryan Commission, the Irish Government commissioned a number of inquiries into abuse and the handling of allegations of abuse within three RCC Dioceses. These inquiries were set up to investigate the historical response to allegations of abuse by the RCC and by State agencies, particularly the Irish Police and Irish Health Services Executive. Two separate reports have been published to date which deal with allegations of child abuse by clergy within the RCC Dioceses of Ferns (published October 2005) and the Archdiocese of Dublin (published November 2009). It is anticipated that a further report will be published towards the end of 2010 in relation to clerical abuse in the Diocese of Cloyne.

3. The Irish Government, in partnership with the RCC has also established a statutory Redress Board to provide financial redress to victims which offered them an alternative to the daunting prospect of pursuing a claim for damages through the court system.

4. The Assembly passed the following motion on 2 November 2009:

“this Assembly expresses grave concern at the findings of the Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse report (the Ryan Report) published in May 2009 in the Republic of Ireland; considers that such neglect and abuse of children and young people’s human rights must be subject to criminal law; recognises that children who were placed by state authorities in Northern Ireland in establishments or settings where they became victims of abuse are entitled to support and redress; calls on the Executive to commission an assessment of the extent of abuse and neglect in Northern Ireland, to liaise and work with the authorities in the Republic of Ireland and to report to the Assembly; calls on the Executive to provide funding to support helpline and counselling services which are now facing new demands; and further calls on the Executive to work, through the North South Ministerial Council, to ensure that all-Ireland protections for children and vulnerable adults are in place as soon as possible.”

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