Fifteen-year-old Bernard Teggart was abducted from St Patrick’s on the Glen Road in 1973.

The school has already been criticised for not fulfilling its duty of care, allowing the abduction to happen and failing to report it to authorities.

On Tuesday the De La Salle order said it was of “deep regret” that Bernard was taken from the care of the order and murdered.

Giving evidence at the HIA inquiry, brother Francis Manning said that at the time there was a lot of fear in west Belfast as to what you said or didn’t say, do or didn’t.

He told the inquiry that it must have been horrendous for those in charge at the time and they had to make the decision there and then and he wasn’t sure what he would have done.

The inquiry was also told that paramilitaries were prepared to violate religious grounds, threaten staff and remove a boy.

The inquiry will hear from other witnesses later.