Victims reassured Abuse Inquiry won’t be axed

Abuse victims have been told that money has been found to keep the Historical Institutional Abuse Inquiry running after they angrily accused Stormont of using the issue as a political football.

A delegation from Survivors and Victims of Institutional Abuse (Savia) met with politicians yesterday over threats the inquiry could be suspended because politicians cannot agree to budget cuts.

The abuse campaigners met with Sinn Fein at Stormont before a meeting was arranged with First Minister Peter Robinson.

The meeting came after Mr Robinson warned that the inquiry’s work could be suspended if the Executive failed to agree on budget adjustments, as the abuse inquiry was one area which required funds from the June monitoring round.

Last night campaigners were given assurances the inquiry was not in jeopardy. They said: “We have been reassured that the money is there for the inquiry and not to be worrying.”

“We let the politicians know we are very, very angry,” she said. “We are living through this nightmare. It was very unkind, untimely, it was uncalled for, it was inhumane and very, very abusive.”

Mr Nesbitt said the row over funding for the Historical Institutional Abuse Inquiry was part of ongoing problems between the DUP and Sinn Fein over welfare reform.

The inquiry, led by Sir Anthony Hart, has a remit to investigate physical, emotional and sexual childhood abuse, and childhood neglect which occurred in residential institutions in Northern Ireland over a 73-year period up to 1995.

It is currently examining the abuse suffered by children at the Kincora Boys’ Home but calls have been made for it be part of the current UK-wide abuse inquiry.