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Historical Institutional Abuse Inquiry: NI hearings to examine Australian migration Historical Institutional Abuse Inquiry: 130 children from Northern Ireland sent as child migrants to Australia
(35 minutes later)
The stories of child migrants forced to leave Northern Ireland and sent to institutions in Australia are to heard at an inquiry. One hundred and thirty children from Northern Ireland, some as young as five, were sent to Australia as child migrants, an inquiry has heard.
The public hearings of the Historical Institutional Abuse Inquiry are due to resume in Banbridge, County Down. The experiences of 50 of them will be heard by the Historical Institutional Abuse Inquiry (HIA) either by oral or written evidence.
Fifty people from a migration programme want to tell their stories. It is examining the extent of child abuse in religious and state-run institutions in NI from 1922 to 1995.
The inquiry (HIA) is examining the extent of child abuse in religious and state-run institutions in Northern Ireland from 1922 to 1995.
A team from the inquiry has already made two trips to Australia.A team from the inquiry has already made two trips to Australia.
The majority of witnesses for the migration scheme will provide their evidence via video-link. HIA Chairman Sir Anthony Hart said his staff had made the trip for two reasons - to enable those who lived there the same opportunity to describe their experiences and to allow the HIA's legal team to gather a considerable amount of information from their witness statements.
The witnesses set to give evidence to the oral hearings have been chosen because they can describe the events that occurred to them before they left Northern Ireland when they were sent as child migrants to Australia. The majority of witnesses for the migration scheme will provide their evidence via video-link over a three-week period.
Documentation examined by the inquiry has revealed that, between 1946 and 1956, children were sent from various institutions in Northern Ireland to institutions in Australia (primarily Western Australia), as part of UK government policy. The inquiry heard that the children who were in the care of voluntary institutions or state bodies in Northern Ireland were sent to Australia between 1922 and 1995.
The biggest ever public inquiry into child abuse ever held in the UK is investigating claims of physical, sexual, and emotional abuse, as well as childhood neglect. 'Severe hardship'
The inquiry's remit is limited to children's residential institutions in Northern Ireland. Sir Anthony said some of the children had little recollection of their time in Northern Ireland or the circumstances surrounding their travel to Australia because at time some were aged eight or under.
Because many of the witnesses are now retired, the HIA decided, because of logistical and other difficulties, to hear their evidence via a live link.
The chairman said it would become clear during their evidence that many had suffered severe hardship and "grave" sexual and physical abuse in the institutions to which they were sent in Australia.
Sir Anthony said although the HIA inquiry did not have the power to investigate the abuse they had suffered in institutions outside of Northern Ireland, he said their experiences would not be "swept under the carpet".
Personal accounts
"I want to assure them that will not be the case," he said.
"Their evidence will be given in public, either in person or through their statements, and all of the evidence will be published on our inquiry website.
"Those who wish to familiarise themselves with these accounts will be able to do so, whether they live in Australia or elsewhere.
"In addition, at the conclusion of this module arrangements will be made to furnish these statements to the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse which is presently carrying on its work in Australia.
"That will ensure that these matters are drawn to its attention."
The HIA is the biggest ever public inquiry into child abuse ever held in the UK and is investigating claims of physical, sexual, and emotional abuse, as well as childhood neglect.
More than 300 witnesses are taking part, including former residents who claim they were abused as children, the people who ran the institutions, health and social care officials and government representatives.More than 300 witnesses are taking part, including former residents who claim they were abused as children, the people who ran the institutions, health and social care officials and government representatives.
The inquiry's remit is limited to children's residential institutions in Northern Ireland.
To date, 434 people have contacted the inquiry to allege they were abused.
Speaking as public hearings opened in January, Christine Smith QC, senior counsel to the panel, said some children's homes in Northern Ireland in the 1960s were relics of a bygone era.
"The evidence suggests that those homes operated as outdated survivors of a bygone age," she said.
The status of children historically could be illustrated by the fact that while the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) was set up in 1824, the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) was not set up for another 60 years.
The barrister told the inquiry of one submission received by a woman who had been in care between 1971 and 1976.
She detailed how after wetting her bed, she had her nose rubbed in it, before being stripped, left in a cold room and then forced to wash in cold water and disinfectant.
The public hearings ended in May and are due to resume on Monday at Banbridge courthouse.
At the end of September, hearings will focus on the former De La Salle Boys' Home, Rubane House, in Kircubbin, County Down.
A total of 13 care homes and borstals in Northern Ireland are currently under investigation.A total of 13 care homes and borstals in Northern Ireland are currently under investigation.