HIA ITV: Shocking historical child abuse in NI outlined in report

ITV 20 -1 -2017 

BBC

Henricus Harreveld 

  

We are believed, our day day has come and this is our day

“We know that for the great majority of applicants this was the first time they had described their experiences as children in residential care, even in some cases to members of their own family. Describing those experiences was not always easy, indeed at times it was clearly distressing and painful, 
and we thank them for their courage and determination in doing so.” 

“We hope that in some measure the process of giving evidence .... helped those who were not listened to in the past.” 

Een volk dat voor tirannen zwicht laat zijn kinderen verkrachten. VPKK: OPEN BRIEF AAN DE LEDEN VAN DE TWEEDE KAMER

Als Nederland dat niet wint, eet ik geen macaroni meer

Namens het Vrouwenplatform Kerkelijk Kindermisbruik

20 - 1 -2017 

Aartsbisschop Eijk en de zijnen gebruiken het graag: het argument dat er een eind moet komen aan het bespreken van het seksueel kindermisbruik in de rooms-katholieke kerk, omdat iedere media-aandacht voor dat thema pijnlijk is, het zou het leed van slachtoffers maar oprakelen. Toen Eijk eind 2013 aankondigde de betreffende Klachtencommissie binnen een half jaar te gaan sluiten, gaf hij dit als belangrijkste reden op. In het kort geding van het VPKK en een aantal vrouwen tegen de RK kerk om de Klachtencommissie open te houden, voerde de kerk het ook aan: 'De twijfel bij slachtoffers, die zich eigenlijk niet willen melden en een klacht in te dienen (sic), kan een steeds grotere emotionele last opleveren.' De rechter heeft de kerk ongelijk gegeven en de Klachtencommissie moest minstens nog een jaartje openblijven.

Dat dit argument door de kerk wordt gehanteerd, hoeft niet te verbazen. Het zwijgen over misstanden is altijd in het belang van degene die voor die misstanden verantwoordelijk is. 

Bovendien is het een hoogst bevoogdend argument en weinig instituten zijn zo bevoogdend als de RK kerk. In het kader van het misbruik in de kerk is het wel een bijzonder cynisch argument, omdat niet alleen de plegers van dat misbruik maar ook de kerkelijke gezagsdragers zelf de slachtoffers dwongen te zwijgen, met alle gevolgen van dien.

Wat wel verbaast is dat hetzelfde argument nu wordt gehanteerd door Marith Volp van de PvdA. Afgelopen donderdag diende Sharon Gesthuizen (SP) een aan de Kamer gerichte motie in om een parlementair onderzoek te starten naar de rol van de overheid in het misbruik binnen de RK kerk. Meerdere overheidsorganen en politici zijn namelijk op de hoogte geweest van seksueel misbruik  en zware mishandeling van kinderen in katholieke instellingen, maar lijken niet ingegrepen te hebben. Een onderzoek naar wat er precies bekend was, naar wat de overwegingen waren wel of niet in te grijpen, is leerzaam en kan soortgelijke misstanden in de toekomst helpen voorkomen. Volp zei hierover met haar fractie te moeten overleggen, want zij meende dat het voor slachtoffers slecht zou zijn als er nu weer publiekelijk over gesproken zou worden. Met alle waardering voor haar eigen motie aan de regering om te bevorderen dat de Deetman-archieven naar het Nationaal Archief gaan en niet naar het door RK congregaties beheerde Erfgoed Nederlands Kloosterleven - wij verwachten van haar dat zij als PvdA-er inziet dat het oprakelargument bij uitstek een argument is dat het belang van de machthebber dient en niet dat van de slachtoffers.

Voormalige slachtoffers hebben er voor gekozen, en masse en wereldwijd, om niet meer te zwijgen. Decennialang zwijgen heeft hen kwaad gedaan. Het afgedwongen zwijgen heeft indertijd het misbruik doen voortgaan en heeft hen vervolgens de mogelijkheid ontnomen hun eigen weg naar herstel te vinden. Zij bundelden hun krachten en bleken sterk, sterk genoeg om de RK kerk te confronteren en aan te zetten althans énige verantwoordelijkheid te nemen. Zeker: die confrontatie was pijnlijk voor de slachtoffers, maar bood en biedt nog steeds een opening naar de weg van herstel. Bevoogding door politici hebben slachtoffers allerminst nodig. Ingrijpen bij en voorkoming van kindermishandeling en -misbruik daarentegen staan hoog op de agenda van voormalige slachtoffers en een parlementair onderzoek zoals door Gesthuizen wordt voorgesteld is daar zeer behulpzaam bij. Aanstaande dinsdag (24 januari 2017) worden beide moties in stemming gebracht.

  bron 1953

van Rappardreservaat 

Waar bemoeit U zich eigenlijk mee?  vroeg de bisschop

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Kincora boys' home: SIS officers have 'no evidence' of abuse involvement or cover-up

1-6-2016
BBC

Senior MI5 and MI6 officers have said they have no evidence that intelligence officers were involved in or condoned abuse at Kincora boys' home in Belfast.

One MI6 officer provided detailed statements to the Historical Institutional Abuse (HIA) inquiry which is examining the extent of sexual abuse at the home before it closed in 1980.

Three former staff at Kincora were jailed in 1981 for abusing boys.

At least 29 boys were abused at Kincora between the late 1950s and early 1980s.

The inquiry has been hearing opening remarks from Joseph Aiken QC, counsel to the inquiry, as he outlines the evidence that will be presented to the panel over the next four weeks.

Agents

MI6 is now officially known as the Secret Intelligence Service (SIS).

The MI6 officer, referred to as SIS officer A, is not named, but was introduced to the inquiry by Alex Younger, the chief of the SIS and the only member of its staff who ever reveals his name.

In the statement, SIS officer A, who is the deputy director responsible for compliance, said he "has seen nothing to indicate any involvement of SIS officers in abuse in Kincora boys' home or any attempt to cover it up".

"SIS does not exploit children or vulnerable adults for operational purposes, nor tolerate their abuse by their staff of those that work on their behalf... including agents," his statement added.

In another document to the inquiry, the the deputy director of MI5, he said there is no evidence in the available documents that "such abuse was permitted, condoned or encouraged to further any MI5 plan".

...

Where there have been redactions, the inquiry panel has seen the gist of what has been redacted before the documents are made public.

compleet

Kincora Boys' Home top secret documents handed over to abuse inquiry

31-5- 2016
Hundreds of top secret police documents about the former Kincora Boys' Home have been declassified and handed over to a public inquiry, a lawyer has revealed.

Some 26 boxes of material have been retrieved from Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) archives and given to the Historical Institutional Abuse (HIA) Inquiry which is examining allegations of child prostitution, vice rings and blackmail plots at the notorious east Belfast facility.

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Barrister Joseph Aiken, counsel to the HIA, said: "When the inquiry began this was all marked secret. At the request of the inquiry it has all been declassified by the PSNI and made available to the inquiry."

It has long been claimed a high ranking paedophile ring preyed on vulnerable young boys in Kincora during the 1970s.

It is further alleged the UK security services knew about the abuse but did nothing to stop it, instead using the information to blackmail and extract intelligence from the influential men, including senior politicians and establishment figures, who were the perpetrators.

The HIA, chaired by retired High Court Judge Sir Anthony Hart, is investigating whether there were systemic failings by state bodies such as the Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC), MI5, MI6, the Northern Ireland Office (NIO) and social services.

Mr Aiken said: "Although it is an established fact that children were abused by staff in Kincora, this inquiry in addition has to address amongst others a range of extraordinary allegations not that the state failed to prevent abuse because of missed opportunities or ineffective systems of oversight and regulation, but that it with deliberation and planning cynically orchestrated and utilised the abuse of children it was supposed to care for in order to further its own ends.

"If true, that would mean those who had the privilege and responsibility of protecting citizens compounded the pain of those who suffered as a result.

"If the allegations are no more than rumours and suspicion they have the effect of heaping further unnecessary misery on the victims of abuse in Kincora."

Kincora opened on Belfast's Upper Newtownards Road, close to Stormont's Parliament Buildings, in May 1958 and closed October 1980 in the aftermath of the sex abuse scandal.

...*

Campaigners had hoped to have Kincora included in the nationwide child abuse probe
chaired by New Zealand judge Lowell Goddard because the HIA does not have the power to compel witnesses.

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However a legal challenge to overturn the Government's refusal was rejected as "premature" by a High Court judge last month.

An appeal was also turned down.

In his opening address Sir Anthony said his inquiry has had "full and voluntary" co-operation from all government departments and agencies.

However, a number of key individuals including former unionist Roy Garland and ex-Army intelligence operatives Brian Gemmell and Colin Wallace have declined to give evidence.

Sir Anthony said: "While it is for them to decide whether they wish to give evidence in person, we regret that they have adopted this position because this is their opportunity to describe in person and in public their experiences in Kincora."

Former Kincora residents are expected to take to the witness stand next week.

Amnesty International has described the Kincora scandal as one of the most disturbing to emerge from the Ulster Troubles.

Patrick Corrigan, Amnesty’s director in Northern Ireland, said: “Nothing less than a full public inquiry – with all the powers of compulsion which that brings – can finally reveal what happened and the role that the security services may have played in the abuse of these vulnerable boys.”

Outside the court, Clint Massey, who spent eight months in Kincora aged 16, said he was hopeful the HIA could expose the truth about Kincora.

"I will have my day in the sun," he said.

"I am hopeful this time. I am hearing good things in the courtroom. They do seem to have the authority to get dossiers from various departments and that gives me hope."

The HIA is now in its 15th and final module.

By the time it concludes public evidence sessions in July, more than 450 witnesses will have provided oral testimony.

Sir Anthony is expected to submit his findings to MLAs at Stormont by early next year.

Module 12 - Congregation of Our Lady of Charity of the Good Shepherd (the "Good Shepherd Sisters") ; Gods bruine bonen

Updated:  4th March 2016

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BRON (en transcripties) 

tip 1 

(en elke beetje fatsoenlijke doe-het-zelf-zaak 

heeft voor een habbekrats prachtige timmermanspotloden, 
bij stembureau's zit er al een handig kettinkje aan) 

Heeroom en tante zus en me zo uit Verwegistan

Northern Ireland child abuse inquiry opens Ex-judge leading inquiry calls on government and accused institutions to co-operate in fair and open way

HIA

A retired judge in charge of the biggest inquiry into child abuse in UK legal history has appealed for openness from the institutions in Northern Ireland where crimes against children allegedly took place.

Opening the public inquiry into 13 orphanages, young offender centres and other places where children were kept in care, Sir Anthony Hart said the government had to be open in its dealings with the tribunal.

"This may be a challenging process for everyone involved, but it is our hope that everybody, whether from government or from the institutions, who is requested to assist the inquiry will co-operate in a fair, open and wholehearted way so that this unique opportunity will not be wasted," Hart said at Banbridge courthouse where the hearings will take place.

He assured the more than 400 victims – 300 of whom will give personal testimony to the court – that they "will have the satisfaction of knowing that their experiences are being listened to and investigated".

Christine Smith, senior counsel for the inquiry, told the court: "By examining how vulnerable children living in children's homes between 1922 and 1995 were treated, this inquiry will examine the soul of Northern Ireland in that period."

The inquiry will examine claims of sexual and physical abuse including at the Kincora boys' home in east Belfast, where a senior Orangeman and a number of loyalist extremists are alleged to have raped children.
The inquiry may also explore allegations that the security forces – both MI5 and RUC Special Branch – knew about abuse in Kincora, but failed to act against those responsible because many of the alleged abusers were state agents.

There will be written and oral testimony from 434 individuals. The inquiry will also investigate how 120 children from the institutions were sent to Australia as part of a child migration policy between 1947 and 1956.

The hearings are scheduled to continue to June 2015 and could cost up to £19m. Campaigners in Britain said they wanted the inquiry to extend to England and Wales.

Jonathan Wheeler, a lawyer and founding member of Stop Church Child Abuse, said: "The start of this inquiry will be a relief to the alleged victims, allowing them to take heart in the fact that a process intended to bring them justice is at last under way. Lessons must also be learned by the authorities and all those responsible for the care of young children to prevent this kind of abuse from ever happening again.
"We have been calling for a similar over-arching inquiry in England and Wales. The government has refused, but if Northern Ireland can tackle the issue why should survivors here be denied their say and the proper scrutiny of all they have suffered."