BELFAST (NORTHERN IRELAND)
Belfast Telegram
May 14, 2019
By Gareth Cross
Calls have been made for an increase to payments offered to survivors of historical institutional abuse.
In January 2017 an inquiry led by Sir Anthony Hart found widespread and systemic abuse in children’s homes across Northern Ireland.
The Historical Institutional Abuse Inquiry studied allegations of abuse in 22 homes and other residential institutions between 1922 and 1995.
Sir Anthony recommended a tax-free lump sum payment for all survivors ranging from £7,500 to £100,000.
However, the vast majority of respondents to an Executive Office consultation on the findings disagreed that the “standard” compensation amount should begin at £7,500, with the majority saying £10,000 would be a more appropriate amount.
The Executive Office launched the consultation in November 2018 and received 562 responses.
More than one-third of them came from victims and survivors of abuse.
Some 82% of respondents recommended higher redress payments and 69% of those think compensation should reflect the number of childhood years spent in abusive institutions.
One respondent described the £7,500 standard payment as “derisory”.
“No amount of compensation can undo or repair the damage inflicted,” they wrote. “Nevertheless there ought to be a tangible figure that in some way reflects the loss of a childhood; £10,000 is not an awful lot but at least it’s a start. Nothing less.”
One of the key issues raised by respondents was a proposal that victims would not be entitled to apply for compensation if they had previously been compensated for the same matter.
The majority proposed that those who had already received compensation should be allowed to have it reviewed and receive any difference awarded.
Note: This is an Abuse Tracker excerpt. Click the title to view the full text of the original article. If the original article is no longer available, see our News Archive.