The Commissioner for Survivors of Institutional Childhood Abuse, Fiona Ryan said:
“In the week that the demolition of the Kincora building has finally begun, my thoughts are with the survivors and their families. This building has stood as a stark physical reminder of the abuse children suffered within its walls at the hands of the perpetrators who preyed on them.
“I welcome its demolition and hope that it might contribute to some peace for the survivors. Razing a building, however, will not erase the memories or lessen the impact of that abuse. Neither will it erase the systemic failures of the authorities to prevent and detect this abuse. The recent Police Ombudsman’s investigation found that former police officers had failed in their duty to these children by failing to act on the information provided in response to complaints. The Police Ombudsman in her investigation further identified systemic failings which prevented police from being aware of complaints of sexual abuse at Kincora Boys’ Home which had been made to the Belfast Welfare Authority and the former Eastern Health and Social Services Board.
“Nearly five decades since the complaints of sexual abuse in Kincora were first made, the site of so much suffering is finally being demolished but I have no doubt that the memories and legacy for survivors remain. For the survivors who have passed and who never got to see this day, my hope is that their families can find a measure of peace.”