Assembly Committee urges TEO to publish ‘long overdue report on Historical Clerical Child Abuse'

An Assembly Committee described the publication of a report relating to Historical Clerical Child Abuse (HCCA) as "long overdue" and has urged The Executive Office (TEO) to release it without delay.

The Committee for the Executive Office has appealed to the First and deputy First Minister to issue the findings, following evidence received from Amnesty International UK.

The organisation told the Committee the report represents, "the most comprehensive piece of work done yet" on clerical child abuse in Northern Ireland.

The Chair of the Executive Office Committee, Paula Bradshaw MLA said: “An Interdepartmental Working Group (IDWG) was set up 10 years ago by the Northern Ireland Executive to investigate areas which fell outside the terms of reference of the Historical Institutional Abuse Inquiry – one of which was Historical Clerical Child Abuse.

“We heard firsthand from representatives of the Interfaith Clerical Abuse Survivors and The Dromore Group who spoke to members at our meeting on Wednesday, March 11.

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“The Committee is very concerned that we have yet to see the report - and alongside the IDWG, victim and survivor groups and Amnesty International UK, we’re calling on TEO to publish the research and recommendations in full," said Ms Bradshaw.

The IDWG conducted research in 2016 to examine the extent and systemic nature of this type of abuse in the North.

The research was made up of three separate projects: one looked at the stories of survivors of abuse in ‘faith settings’ while another focused on historical records. A third examined safeguarding policies and practices in the faith sector. Three separate research reports were produced at this stage.

In July 2025, the research findings were combined into one report for Ministers - including recommendations on possible future actions. In November last year Ministers met with the IDWG’s Independent Chair, to hear their views. 

The Chair continued: “The last update we received indicated that Ministers had discussed the report - but decided they needed more time to consider a recommendation to hold a Public Inquiry.

“Earlier this month the deputy First Minister was asked in the Assembly Chamber for an update on the actions arising from the research into HCCA and on the publication of the report.

“Although she said she was considering it, she stated the report was ‘not necessarily for publication but to inform the process’.

“As a Committee, and on behalf of all survivors of Historical Clerical Child Abuse, we are calling for the immediate publication of this report so that its findings and recommendations can be properly considered and next steps agreed.”