NORTHERN IRELAND
The Guardian

Henry McDonald, Ireland correspondent
theguardian.com, Monday 13 January 2014

One of the biggest public inquiries in British legal history is to open later on Monday into allegations of abuse in 13 care homes and orphanages in Northern Ireland.

The historical institutional abuse inquiry will examine claims of sexual and physical abuse including at the Kincora boys’ home in east Belfast, at which a senior Orangeman and a number of loyalist extremists raped children.

The inquiry may also explore allegations that the security forces, both MI5 and RUC special branch, knew about the abuse in Kincora but failed to act against those responsible because many of the abusers were state agents.

Chaired by the retired judge Sir Anthony Hart QC, the inquiry, based in Banbridge courthouse, will hear written and oral testimony from 434 individuals and their stories of abuse in institutions, which range from…