NORTHERN IRELAND
The Irish News
30 August, 2015
A LONG RUNNING public inquiry will examine allegations of historic child abuse at juvenile justice institutions when it resumes this week.
Retired judge Sir Anthony Hart is leading the Historical Institutional Abuse (HIA) probe, one of the UK’s largest inquiries into physical, sexual and emotional harm to children at homes run by the church, state and voluntary organisations.
Its seventh module, expected to last until November, will focus on allegations arising out of St Patrick’s Training School and Hydebank Young Offenders’ Centre in Belfast, Rathgael Training School in Bangor and Lisnevin Training School in Newtownards.
In June, the HIA, spent a week examining the failings that allowed notorious paedophile priest Fr Brendan Smyth to continue abusing children over four decades.
Retired Catholic Primate Cardinal Sean Brady was among those who gave evidence and said he hoped light would be shed on a “dark chapter” in the church’s history.
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