NORTHERN IRELAND
Belfast Telegraph
EDITOR’S VIEWPOINT – 20 FEBRUARY 2015
Taken at face value, the testimony of Richard Kerr on abuse at Kincora Boys’ Home in east Belfast in the 1970s is explosive and compelling. He claims he was abused both there and in London by what appears to have been an organised paedophile ring. And he says he has evidence of MI5 involvement.
His story is tragic. As a teenager he was taken into care after his family life collapsed. His eventual arrival at Kincora led to a life of degradation, including abuse by numerous men and later working as a male prostitute.
One can only guess at the impact this had on his self-worth, as he self-harmed and also tried to commit suicide.
His story adds to the mounting tide of evidence of what went on in that notorious home. It also reinforces the widely held belief that previous investigations which saw three members of staff jailed for abusing 11 boys in their care was far from the complete picture. It has long been suspected that people in senior positions in the intelligence services and in civic society helped cover up the full extent of the abuse.
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