Kincora probe has to access secret files...

By Colin Francis
Belfast Telegraph
July 21, 2014

http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/local-national/northern-ireland/kincora-probe-has-to-access-secret-files-says-former-army-officer-colin-wallace-30446011.html

Whistleblower: Colin Wallace

Dark secrets: Kincora Boys' Home in east Belfast, where children were abused for years

There is a compelling case for the former Kincora Boys' Home in Belfast to be included in the Westminster-driven inquiry into allegations of a paedophile ring operating at the heart of the British Establishment.

Kincora Boy's Home in east Belfast

Keith Vaz (right) supports an inquiry

Kincora probe has to access secret files, says former Army officer Colin Wallace

Mr Wallace tried to draw attention to sexual abuse at the east Belfast home in the 1970s.

He said if the home was included in the UK-wide investigation into institutional abuse, then the terms of any inquiry into what happened must be widened.

In 1981 three senior care staff at the home were jailed for abusing 11 boys.

It has also been claimed that people of the "highest profile" were connected – taken to mean senior politicians.

Mr Wallace received intelligence in 1973 to say that boys were being abused, but claims some of his superiors refused to pass on the information.

"I know that some officers from the security services in Northern Ireland did know and actually reprimanded intelligence officers from raising the matter and also told them they were to desist from any further investigation," he said.

Mr Wallace said two previous inquiries which looked at Kincora – the Terry Inquiry and the Hughes Inquiry – did not examine evidence relating to the intelligence services.

"My evidence, and the evidence of other people, was ruled out because those inquiries quite clearly, and indeed, we know now specifically and deliberately, ruled out the role of the intelligence services," he said.

"The evidence that I was willing to give to previous inquiries, from the Official Secrets point of view I couldn't do that because that was not within the terms of those inquiries.

"If there is going to be any way of moving this forward, the Government – and David Cameron has said no stone will be unturned – must make sure that any information, held anywhere by any agency, will be made available.

"But of course the problem is, I know from my own personal experience, that those files have long since disappeared."

Mr Wallace said he doubted the full truth would ever be known.