Abuse inquiry witness ‘suicidal’

NORTHERN IRELAND
Belfast Telegraph

01 SEPTEMBER 2014

A woman abused while resident at a children’s home in Northern Ireland was left suicidal after telling her story before a public inquiry.

Kate Walmsley, 58, was in an institution in Londonderry from 1964 to 1969, having been admitted as a young child. She recalled being targeted aged eight by a priest in a confessional box while under the care of the Sisters of Nazareth order of Catholic nuns.

The UK’s largest child abuse inquiry so far is to resume again next week. A retired High Court judge is chairing the probe and took harrowing evidence from Ms Walmsley earlier this year.

She said: “It was reliving a nightmare and then being told horrible things about yourself.

“I just thought that I had spoiled my chance, the only chance in my life to get some sort of healing and they have ruined it.

“I ended up being suicidal and thinking I have wasted that day, the special day.”

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.