Mcconville Children Want State & Church Apology

RTE News
November 13, 2014

http://www.rte.ie/news/2014/1113/659172-mcconville/

Jean McConville was abducted by an IRA gang in 1972

One of the ten children of Jean McConville, who was abducted and murdered by the IRA, says his family is owed an apology by the State and the church, for how they were treated after their mother's disappearance.

Ms McConville was abducted by an IRA gang after being accused of passing information to the British army.

She was later shot in the back of the head and buried 80km from her home.

Billy McConville told Northern Ireland's Institutional Abuse Inquiry last week that he was sexually and physically abused in care homes and wants those wrongs acknowledged.

When the IRA abducted their mother in 1972, the eldest of the ten McConville children, Helen, was 15.

The two youngest were the six-year-old twins, Billy and Jim.

The ten children were left to fend for themselves before they were taken into care, split up and dispatched to a series of institutions.

Last week Billy and others gave evidence to Northern Ireland's Historical Abuse Inquiry.

During the module dealing with the home at Kircubbin, run by the De La Salle brothers, they alleged they had been physically and sexually abused.

Billy and some of his siblings say their goal now is to get an apology from the authorities and the church for how they were treated.

The IRA did not admit to Mrs McConville's murder until 1999.

Her remains were found on Shelling Hill, beach, Co Louth in 2003.

Nobody has ever been charged with her murder.