By Julie Waters
A LEADING victims’ group will not attend the unveiling of a memorial plaque honouring survivors of historical institutional abuse at Stormont later this month.
Bangor man Cyril Glass, spokesman of Survivors Together, has stated it would be ‘inappropriate’ for the group to attend the ceremony at Parliament Buildings.
Mr Glass explained that members of the victims’ group, who include people from as far afield as Canada, have expressed concerns about the plaque’s wording, and criticised the ceremony as a ‘box ticking exercise’.
The campaigner stated the group was concerned the wording ‘failed by the State’ had been removed from the plaque and claimed this further ‘protected the State from their responsibility as victim makers’.
The plaque unveiling comes nine years after Sir Anthony Hart, chairman of the Historical Institutional Abuse Inquiry, recommended that an apology, a memorial and compensation be made to survivors.
The 2017 inquiry examined the abuse of hundreds of children at church and state-run institutions over seven decades, including Bangor’s former Rathgael Training School and Lisnevin Training School in Millisle. Particular to Rathgael there were several findings of serious physical abuse carried out on children.
The Historical Institutional Abuse (HIA) Redress Board was set up in 2020 to receive and make determinations of awards of compensation to victims and survivors. However a review of the process was carried out after a number of victims expressed concern about their experiences.
The compensation scheme, which saw over £100m paid to victims of historical abuse, ended in April of last year and a public apology was delivered in 2022.
However the Survivors Together group also refused to accept the public apology issued to victims and survivors, as they did not believe it was in keeping with the recommendation made by Sir Anthony Hart.
Explaining why Survivors Together would not be attending the plaque unveiling, Mr Glass said: “Having discussed and listened to concerns raised by some of our group members, we recognise it would be inappropriate for Survivors Together to support the Executive Office official unveiling of the HIA memorial plaque at Stormont.
“Our concerns, like that of others, focus on the inclusion of the paragraph regarding the public apology. Survivors Together believes the wording on the plaque regarding the public apology, should not be included, because we have consistently said we did not and do not accept the apology as the ‘State’ apology recommended by Sir Anthony Hart which was promised to and expected by victim/survivors.
“We believe the Executive Office official unveiling is merely a box ticking exercise to enable civil servants to say they have fulfilled their obligations, but at the expense of victims and survivors.”
Mr Glass added: “We are also concerned that the wording ‘failed by the State’ has been removed from the original transcript, thus protecting the State from their responsibility as victim-makers.
“Although we will not have representatives in attendance, this does not prevent any individual group member from attending should they wish to do so.”
A spokesman for The Executive Office said: “The memorial event on February 20 is an important step in honouring those affected by historical institutional abuse.
“Memorials play a vital role in remembering those who were failed, acknowledging their experiences, and ensuring their voices are never forgotten. We remain committed to working with victims and survivors to develop a wider programme of remembrance as we continue this important journey.”
