"Rampant" Abuse at Catholic Home

Belfast Telegraph
September 29, 2014

http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/local-national/northern-ireland/rampant-abuse-at-catholic-home-30623878.html

The Independent Historical Institutional Abuse inquiry has heard that around a fifth of boys at Rubane House were subjected to abuse

Sexual abuse was rampant at a children's home in Northern Ireland run by a Catholic order of brothers, a former senior police officer has said.

Around a fifth of boys at Rubane House in Co Down were subjected to sexual or physical abuse, according to a public inquiry, equal to if not worse than that at another notorious home, Kincora in east Belfast.

Rubane was the subject of a police investigation in the 1990s, the Historical Institutional Abuse (HIA) inquiry was told. Three De La Salle order brothers were charged but none convicted after their trials did not go ahead due to legal issues.

Former Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) detective chief superintendent Eric Anderson wrote a note to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP).

It said: "Sexual abuse by a considerable number of the De La Salle brothers on the children and consequently between children is rampant."

Most offenders were already dead or medically certified unfit for trial.

Mr Anderson added: "The full horror of the abuse in this establishment is reflected in 41 files already submitted through your office to the DPP.

"I consider the complaints made to show it to be on a par with, if not worse than, the abuse at the Kincora children's home."

Kincora was the subject of a high-profile child abuse scandal in the 1980s. Three senior care staff at Kincora were jailed in 1981 for abusing 11 boys in their care.

Between 1951 and 1985 around 1,000 children stayed at Rubane, near Kircubbin on the Ards Peninsula. Abuse of around a fifth of residents ranged from watching boys in the showers for sexual gratification to rape or physical attacks, lawyer for the inquiry Joseph Aiken said.

The probe was established by Northern Ireland's power-sharing administration at Stormont and is sitting in Banbridge in Co Down. It is chaired by former High Court judge Sir Anthony Hart and investigating what took place at 13 residential children's homes run by religious orders, voluntary organisations and the state in the 73-year period up to 1995.

Around 200 former residents made abuse allegations about Rubane, 55 have come forward to the inquiry and the majority are expected to give evidence. Lawyers are to examine 40,000 documents.