Northern Ireland child abuse victims have waited too long for justice

Amnesty International will today join with victims and survivors of institutional child abuse in order to hand over a letter to Northern Ireland's First Minister and Deputy First Minister, calling for the establishment of an inquiry.

Patrick Corrigan, Northern Ireland Programme Director of Amnesty International, said:

“The Assembly voted on November 2nd 2009 for the Executive to commission an assessment of the extent of abuse and neglect in Northern Ireland. Yet, nine months on, there is still no sign of any inquiry being established.

“The Northern Ireland Executive has an urgent and overriding obligation to institute a thorough investigation of child abuse both inside and outside Church-run institutions within this jurisdiction.

“The victims of abuse in institutions in Northern Ireland deserve nothing less than a full investigation into the dreadful harm that was perpetrated against them. The survivors look to the government to break the chains of secrecy, expose the truth and provide a measure of justice and redress.

“That is why we are standing today with victims and survivors in calling on the Northern Ireland Executive to establish an independent, impartial and effective inquiry into historic institutional child abuse here.”