Northern institutional abuse report to be issued within weeks

The report of the Historical Institutional Abuse Inquiry in Northern Ireland is to be published on January 20th.

The inquiry had a remit to investigate physical, emotional and sexual childhood abuse and neglect in residential institutions in the North over a 73-year period up to 1995.

The inquiry chairman, Sir Anthony Hart, confirmed he had submitted his report to First Minister Arlene Foster and Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness.

“I want to thank everyone who came forward to tell us of their experiences as I know how hard it was for many to find the courage to do so,” he said. “I also want to thank all those who worked with the inquiry in a co-operative way, and by doing so help my colleagues and myself to complete our report on time.”

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The report will be formally published following a statement by the chairman at a public meeting in the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Belfast.

Public hearings in the former Banbridge courthouse opened on January 13th, 2014, and concluded on July 8th last. There were 223 days of hearings. During the course of the public evidence sessions the inquiry heard from 527 witnesses. Of these, 246 were applicants who gave evidence in person and a further 87 applicants’ statements were read into the record.