Analysis: Failed at every juncture time is running out for Church abuse victim

By Allison Morris
Irish News
July 3, 2017

http://www.irishnews.com/news/2017/07/03/news/analysis-failed-at-every-juncture-time-is-running-out-for-church-abuse-victim-1073221/

Time is running out for Billy McConville (50) son of IRA murder victim Jean McConville, who has been diagnosed with terminal cancer. Photo by Hugh Russell

OF the thousands of victims of Northern Ireland's troubles few have been more badly let down than the children of murdered mother of ten Jean McConville.

At just six years-old Billy McConville and his twin brother Jim were the youngest of the family of orphans abandoned after their mother was abducted by the IRA in the mouth of Christmas 1972.

When they were eventually taken into care they were sent to children's homes across Northern Ireland, including Nazareth Lodge and Nazareth House in Belfast and the De La Salle Boys' Home at Rubane House in Kircubbin.

Sir Anthony Hart found child abuse was systemic at these Catholic Church run institutions, the McConville children were among the terrified young victims.

Some of the children suffered physical and mental neglect, others were also sexually abused by staff and older boys, Billy suffered among the worst possible abuse.

Now suffering from incurable cancer, at just 50 he has lived a life full of heartache, neglect and disappointment.

A child victim of one of the most notorious killings of the Troubles, he has been victimised by the Church, by the state and by successive governments who have failed to properly address the trauma suffered by people like Billy.

The Historical Institutional Abuse inquiry was meant to finally give a voice to abused children, to give redress for lost childhoods to bring hope and light where there was previously only despair and darkness.

Sir Anthony Hart emphasised the urgency of redress for victims when he delivered his findings in January of this year.

However, those recommendations relied on a functioning executive to implement them.

Now with a crisis that looks set to continue on well into the Autumn, Billy McConville's time is running out, failed yet again, this time by political crisis and an ever moving talks deadline that he is unlikely to live to see completed.