Apology at Stormont to victims of institutional abuse

A PUBLIC apology to victims of Historical Institutional Abuse has taken place at Stormont.

It marks a significant milestone in the campaign for justice and truth of survivors of the abuse and follows a Public Inquiry by the late Sir Anthony Hart.

Fiona Ryan, commissioner for survivors of institutional childhood abuse called for a minute’s silence in the chamber. She said that those gathered at Stormont were there to ‘hear words that have been delayed for years, are lifetimes late and, in many cases, tragically, are too late.’

“For let us be clear why we are here today and what is being apologised for,” she said.

“We are talking about the systematic physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional abuse and neglect of children for decades in residential institutions in Northern Ireland.”

Ministers from each of the Northern Ireland Executive parties read statements acknowledging and apologising for the abuse.

They were then followed by representatives from six institutions in which abue took place between 1922 and 1995.

They included Fr Francis Manning from the De La Salle Brothers, who said that the serious failures are a ‘matter of profound regret’ to the De La Salle Brothers.

Sister Cornelia Walsh of the Sisters of Nazareth offered a ‘sincere apology. “We recognise your pain and the long-awaited journey you have travelled to reach this day,” she added.

Uainin Clark, regional leader for Ireland from the Sisters of St Louis, said that they accepted the findings that a ‘harsh regime’ existed in their Co Armagh School.

“Instead of meeting love and encouragement you sometimes met the opposite – harshness and a lack of love and understanding.”

Sister Cait O’Leary of the Good Shepherd Sisters said she would like to sincerely acknowledge that mistakes were made in the care they provided to girls and young women. She siad the process of changing names should not have happened and that the humiliation of those in care amounted to emotional abuse.

Michele Janes, the director of Barnardo’s in Northern Ireland said victims were let down when they were most vulnerable.

“We can’t go back and change things, but we have learned from our failings,” she said.

Revf Mark Jones frm the Irish Church Missions, a Church of Ireland organisation, says the organisation recognised the courage of survivors in coming forward.

“These were crimes that could have been detected and should have been prevented. And we acknowledge that such violations robbed you of your childhood and that you continue to live with the consequences to this day.”