Victims Oppose Abuse Probe Immunity, Belfast Telegraph, May 13, 2011

Victims Oppose Abuse Probe Immunity

Belfast Telegraph
May 13, 2011

http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/local-national/northern-ireland/victims-oppose-abuse-probe-immunity-15155634.html

Clerical abuse victims Margaret McGuckin and her brother Kevin

Witnesses at a child abuse inquiry should not be offered immunity from prosecution, victims have said.

Survivors said they oppose deal-making unless there are compelling reasons for doing so for an individual case.

The Executive announced last December that it would hold an inquiry and appointed a taskforce to consider how it should be taken forward.

The decision followed the Ryan Report in the Irish Republic which uncovered decades of abuse in Catholic and state-run institutions.

The victims' submission to the taskforce said: "Anything short of an independent, public, judge-led inquiry, supported by a panel of people with acknowledged expertise in the challenging and sensitive issues which will be covered, will fail to provide the necessary transparency and would not enjoy the confidence of those who lost their childhoods at the hands of those who were meant to be caring for them."

It said the victims' voices should be heard and must include the possibility of consequent prosecution. The inquiry should also be able to pronounce on the failings of the system which allowed the abuses to take place and make recommendations to ensure such behaviour does not happen again.

The Survivors and Victims of Institutional Abuse in Northern Ireland lobby group suggested the establishment of a panel of lawyers with different expertise and interests.

Their submission added: "Survivors are opposed to immunity deals being offered to individuals or institutions in exchange for cooperation with the inquiry unless there are compelling reasons for doing so in relation to particular witnesses, to be dealt with on an individual case-by-case basis.

"It is important that the inquiry's work is not hampered by alleged perpetrators refusing to give evidence or answer certain questions on the grounds that they could be incriminating themselves."

The inter-departmental taskforce was set up in December by the Executive and it is working on the options for an inquiry. It aims to bring forward recommendations before the summer recess and the new Executive will consider them.