Kincora Move "Silence Conspiracy"
Belfast Telegraph
The Government's refusal to investigate a notorious Belfast boys' home in its UK-wide child abuse inquiry adds to a "conspiracy of silence" over the crimes committed there, Amnesty International has claimed. The human rights group said victims of a brutal paedophile ring who abused boys from the Kincora home will feel betrayed by the announcement. It has long been alleged that well-known figures in the British establishment, including senior politicians, were involved in the abuse of vulnerable boys living in the infamous facility in east Belfast in the 1970s. Moreover it has been claimed that the UK security services knew about the crimes but did nothing to stop them, instead using the knowledge to blackmail and extract intelligence from influential men who were committing abuse. Amnesty was among those who have campaigned for the home to be included in the Government-commissioned UK-wide probe into historic abuse that is being chaired by Lord Mayor of London Fiona Woolf. But Northern Ireland Secretary Theresa Villiers today announced that Kincora will not be covered by the inquiry. Ms Villiers said a more appropriate forum for the allegations to be investigated was through an ongoing Northern Ireland-specific inquiry into institutional abuse in the region. Patrick Corrigan, Amnesty International's Northern Ireland programme director, said the move was "disappointing but unsurprising". "Victims will feel betrayed by this decision, while the public will believe that the conspiracy of silence, which has surrounded Kincora for forty years, continues," he said. Stormont First Minister Peter Robinson and East Belfast MP Naomi Long have also expressed disappointment at Ms Villiers' announcement. Critics of the decision have highlighted that the Stormont-commissioned institutional abuse inquiry only has the power to compel witnesses and papers related to devolved matters. That means the panel chaired by retired judge Sir Anthony Hart cannot force representatives of the Security Service (MI5) to appear before him. Acknowledging this issue, Ms Villiers today pledged the "fullest co-operation" by the UK Government, including the Security Service and Ministry of Defence, with Sir Anthony's Historical Institutional Abuse Inquiry. She stressed that Ms Woolf does not currently have the powers to compel witnesses. But Mr Corrigan insisted the local inquiry would not be able to get to the truth of Kincora. "Despite protestations to the contrary by the Northern Ireland Secretary Theresa Villiers, the Historical Institutional Abuse inquiry is simply unable to get at the truth behind the abuse and allegations of security services' complicity at Kincora," he said. "Only an inquiry with the eyes of Westminster and the UK media - and the ability to secure the necessary powers of compulsion - is equipped to uncover the secrets long hidden at Kincora. "In one fell swoop the UK Government has both knocked public confidence in its commitment to reveal the truth of child abuse across the whole country, and undermined the Northern Ireland inquiry, which has been given a job for which it is sadly ill-equipped." In 1981, former head of the home William McGrath and two other members of staff, William Semple and Joseph Mains, were jailed for abusing children in their care. But there have been persistent allegations that the paedophile ring was much more extensive than those three men. Democratic Unionist First Minister Mr Robinson said he had raised the issue over powers with the Government a number of months ago. "Northern Ireland's Historical Institutional Abuse Inquiry has a range of statutory powers including the power to compel both people and documents within Northern Ireland," he said. "This statutory power does not fully extend to the rest of the United Kingdom which is why I called for Kincora Boys' Home to be included in the UK wide Panel. "However, I welcome this commitment from Her Majesty's Government that there will be the "fullest possible" co-operation with the Inquiry where evidence is required and requested. "This would give the HIA Inquiry the same range of powers in relation to the rest of the UK, as proposed for the Inquiry Panel. "I will now be seeking clarification from the chairman of the HIA Inquiry to ensure he is fully satisfied, given Her Majesty's Government's commitment, that he now has the range of powers and co-operation he requires to carry out a robust and thorough investigation of all the issues in relation to Kincora Boys' Home." Mrs Long said the decision had let down the victims and survivors of Kincora. "Whilst I welcome the news that the Government is willing to participate in the investigation into the goings-on at Kincora, it is disappointing they have not allowed the home to be part of the wider-ranging Home Office inquiry," she said. "Kincora is under the spotlight not just for allegations of abuse but also claims that security services participated in blackmail and cover-ups around it. While the Secretary of State is correct in saying the welfare of children is a devolved matter to Northern Ireland, the security services are not. The Home Office inquiry has dragged its feet for months now in not responding to my calls for Kincora to be included in it and this is just the latest disappointment. "If Kincora is not to be included in the Home Office inquiry, I would call for a separate, independent inquiry with statutory powers to be established and Kincora to be included in it. That now appears to be the only way the victims and survivors of the home will gain the justice they deserve." Ulster Unionist leader Mike Nesbitt said the lack of certainty on whether Sir Anthony would be able to get certain witnesses to appear was a real problem. "That is the critical weakness," he said. "Again, I acknowledge the Secretary of State is working with colleagues in Government to address that point, but until it is resolved satisfactorily, these proposals have a potentially fatal weakness. "That would be a betrayal of the victims." Mr Nesbitt has previously acknowledged the speculation that former senior members of his party were involved in the historic abuse at Kincora and has vowed to accept guilt if the UUP is implicated. Making the announcement, Ms Villiers said that Sir Anthony's inquiry was "better placed to pursue allegations of abuse" at Kincora. "All right-thinking people will find the offences committed at Kincora utterly abhorrent, and if there was any tolerance of such abuse by people in positions of authority that must also be utterly condemned," she said. "I believe that Sir Anthony's inquiry is the best placed body to do just that and it is already planning to look at allegations in respect of Kincora. All Government departments and agencies who receive a request for information or documents from the Inquiry will co-operate to the utmost of their ability in determining what material they hold that might be relevant." The abuse inquiry in Northern Ireland has an agreed work programme and it is anticipated that Kincora will not be examined in detail until the end of 2015 at the earliest. Sir Anthony said he welcomed the assurances provided by Ms Villiers in regard to the co-operation of the state. But the former judge said if it became apparent that beefed up powers to compel witnesses were required he would request that the inquiry is granted them. "My HIA Inquiry panel colleagues and I welcome the written statement made by the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland to the House of Commons in which she has given assurances that all departments of HM Government and its agencies will co-operate to the utmost of their ability with the HIA inquiry into Kincora," he said. "As we have already announced, and as the Secretary of State has said, the HIA Inquiry is investigating Kincora, and so her announcement does not extend the terms of reference of our inquiry. "On the contrary, it now provides our Inquiry with the means to investigate the activities of non-devolved Government Departments and agencies. "We are satisfied that the assurance of full co-operation by all Government Departments and agencies, and the satisfactory resolution by HM Government of the other issues the Inquiry has raised with it, will provide our HIA Inquiry with the ability and financial resources to carry out an effective and thorough investigation into all the Kincora allegations. "However, should it become apparent during our work that it is necessary to have powers under the Inquiries Act 2005 then we will ask OFMDFM (Office of the First Minister and Deputy First Minister) and HM Government to confer such powers on our inquiry." A legal firm that represents a number of victims of abuse in Kincora tonight warned the Government that it could face legal action if it did not investigate the institution as part of the UK-wide inquiry. Kevin Winters of Belfast-based KRW Law said it was vital the roles of MI5 and the MoD were fully probed. "These state agents were operating with the North of Ireland throughout the conflict and their role regarding Kincora needs to be established by the Home Office Inquiry," he said. "Failure to do so could be subject to a legal challenge on behalf of our clients/victims who suffered human rights violations when within the confines of the Kincora Boys Home."
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