Published date:
Commissioner Designate for Victims of Crime Northern Ireland Geraldine Hanna said:
“The publication of today’s report is a monument to the courage and perseverance of the families of the victims of Muckamore Abbey.
“These families should not have had to fight so hard, for so long.
“I know that some of the families affected have expressed unhappiness with how the inquiry has been carried out.
“I hope that today’s report is received positively by those victims and their families and, just as importantly, is an inflection point for real, meaningful change.
“I note that one of the recommendations in the report is the introduction of a statutory duty of candour which I have long called for and I would encourage the Executive to act quickly to legislate for it.
“It is painful to hear about the cruelty these victims suffered at the hands of those who were supposed to care for them.
“Fundamentally what we have seen here is victims being harmed and then failed by the institutions that were supposed to protect them.
“This has clearly been a systemic issue and there must be change. This must be a turning point where victims no longer have to wait years and fight tooth and nail for accountability.”