News awareness initiative for survivors of historical institutional abuse

The Commissioner for Survivors of Institutional Childhood Abuse in Northern Ireland has expressed concern some victims and survivors were “not sure or were unaware of their entitlements”.

Speaking to Derry News, Fiona Ryan said she had been concerned for some time some victims and survivors no longer living in the North “do not know about the services available and do not know about their right to apply for redress”.

Ms Ryan, who came into post in December 2020, added: “We know victims and survivors did leave Northern Ireland and that the trauma they experienced as children definitely contributed, for many of them, to their decision to leave.

“I have met with victims and survivors in Britain. I have been very privileged that they shared their stories with me, their experiences, the fallout, the heartbreak so many felt that they had to flee where they were from.

“So, I am concerned there are victims and survivors outside of Northern Ireland who do not know about the services that are available and do not know about their right to apply for redress.

“What is making this more urgent is that we are entering into the last 12 months of the redress scheme and there is an expectation the last date on which the redress board will receive applications is April 2, 2025. I think that adds an additional urgency.”

The Commissioner undertook a similar awareness raising initiative last year.

“We also supported the Executive office in its efforts when a leaflet containing all contact details was sent to every home in Northern Ireland.

“From my perspective, we respect the fact that every survivor is an individual - my office has come close to supporting 950 individual victims and survivors at this point.

“Every survivor is an individual and the choices they make are very much their own. What I want to ensure is that victims and survivors have the necessary information on financial redress compensation, on services and supports so they can make good choices for themselves, informed choices about what they want to do.

“But the key element in all of this is that victims and survivors have the necessary information to make those choices. They can contact my office and we will be more than happy to engage with victims and survivors.”

Ms Ryan said this call out to victims and survivors was so they had the “necessary information they need to make informed decisions”

However, the Commissioner was at pains to point out she would never advise anyone on a particular course of action “because victims and survivors have many experiences of people telling them what they should and shouldn’t do”.

“My whole perspective is to give victims and survivors a choice so they can make good and informed choices for themselves,” she added.

Ms Ryan also acknowledged the role victim and survivor groups have played in “reaching out to survivors and letting them know about their entitlements”.

She said: “Obviously we have the Survivors North West Group with Jon McCourt. I am very grateful and thankful to the victims and survivor groups and what they have done to reach out to victims and survivors.

“A lot of the victims and survivors who contact me at the moment are not affiliated to groups, so I am really grateful for what the groups have done to reach out to victims and survivors in their own areas.”

Ms Ryan pointed out that she does not have any remit in relation to clerical abuse, Mother and Baby Homes or Magdalene Laundries.

She said she had maintained a “watching brief” on areas, such as, Mother and Baby Homes, Magdalene Laundries and clerical child abuse as “while these are not within the Commissioner’s remit, they are adjacent to and impact on the work of the Office and those we engage with”.

The team at the office of the Commissioner for Survivors of Institutional Childhood Abuse in Northern Ireland will provide general advice and information on how to apply for redress, services and supports.

The Office of the Commissioner for Survivors of Institutional Childhood Abuse in Northern Ireland can be contacted on 028 90 544 985 or international 0044 28 90 544 985 or email info@cosica-ni.org.