The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, the Rt Hon Karen Bradley MP, today met with representatives from four groups representing victims and survivors of historical institutional abuse. The Rosetta Group, Survivors North-West, SAVIA and Survivors Together attended the meetings at Stormont House.
The meetings came before the Executive Office writes to the political parties in Northern Ireland to tell them what fundamental questions need to be answered in discussions in the days ahead.
Following the meetings, the Secretary of State said:
“I am very grateful to the representatives of victims and survivors who gave up their time to meet me today.
This is an incredibly important issue to me, and I am determined to deliver for them in the quickest and most effective way. I am asking the political parties in Northern Ireland to work with me to that end.
I understand why feelings are so strong on this issue and that’s why I want to ensure victims and survivors of abuse get the redress they deserve as quickly as possible.
They have been wronged and let down by the system too many times, and I want to make sure it doesn’t happen to them again. The system needs to be fair, robust and able to deliver for victims and survivors.
I am also grateful to the parties for their work in addressing some of the questions identified following the consultation, and I look forward to getting their views as soon as possible on the other fundamental questions which have been asked by the Head of the Northern Ireland Civil Service, and which must be answered by local politicians before we can consider legislation.
The Executive Office will send the questions that remain to be answered shortly so that they can be discussed at the next meeting of the Programme for Government working group, and my officials will meet with Sir Anthony Hart tomorrow.
I believe this the quickest route to get victims and survivors the redress they deserve.”
