Lockdown should not prevent launch of abuse payouts, urges campaigner
A COMPENSATION scheme for survivors of historical abuse must be launched as scheduled next week despite the coronavirus lockdown, a campaigner has said.
Jon Mccourt, of the group Survivors North West, said a virtual launch could deliver progress for victims without compromising safety with a public gathering.
Victims have already endured long delays in their campaign for recognition and compensation.
Paying compensation to those who suffered harm when they were in homes run by the church and state was among recommendations from the Historical Institutional Abuse (HIA) public inquiry in 2016.
It examined allegations of physical, emotional and sexual harm of children in residential institutions between 1922 and 1995.
But the collapse of Stormont in January 2017 delayed that process.
In December, the head of the Northern Ireland Civil Service, David Sterling, said the application for abuse payments for those victims and survivors of historical abuse would open this month.
Mr Mccourt said that yet another delay — even one that cannot be helped — would be a blow to victims.
“The milestone date for the launch of the redress process was March 31, that was given to us by David Sterling long before this particular crisis,” he said.
“Everything right now is up in the air, but even though everything is up in the air I am very, very aware that some see this as another delay — which it is, but this one is not a manufactured delay.
“It was supposed to be a public launch. Last week the word was it wouldn’t be a public launch but didn’t say there wasn’t going to be a launch.
“One way or another, launch should go ahead, the the opening of this redress should take place on March 31.”
Mr Mccourt acknowledged that further steps following the launch such as lawyers taking statements and access to documents will be delayed due to the coronavirus crisis, and also revealed that the building where the redress board is based is closed for a deep clean.
But he emphasised that symbolically it is important to the victims the scheme is opened.
“Everything has conspired against us but let the launch date be March 31,” he said.
“Even if the president of the board says as far as he is concerned the official date for opening this will be March 31, the process is opened, and when we can we will get on with it.”
A Stormont committee heard yesterday that coronavirus is creating “huge challenges” for the process.
Civil servant Mark Browne warned: “The virus is moving quicker than the law is at this point.”
Stormont Executive Office officials Mr Browne and Gareth Johnston gave evidence to a scrutiny committee of the devolved Assembly about rules surrounding the redress scheme.
They said restrictions linked to Covid-19 were changing and tightening day-by-day.
A COUPLE whose dream Easter wedding was thrown into doubt by coronavirus restrictions have tied the knot a month earlier than planned and streamed the ceremony to 300 guests around the world on Facebook.
Kirsten Robson, who is originally from Newtownards, and Richard Groom were initially planning to exchange their vows on April 14 so their relatives could turn out in force.
Instead, their big day was hastily brought forward to last Saturday at St Matthew’s Church, Walsall, near Birmingham.
The bride’s 12 housemates, who all pitched in to help pull together a wedding to remember in just four days, were the couple’s only attending guests.
Kirsten, who attended Newtownards Model Primary School and Strathearn School in east Belfast, met Richard, a care assistant, while studying at Wolverhampton University.
The couple, both 26, got engaged in September 2018 and had spent 18 months arranging their nuptials before it was clear their original date was doomed.
Kirsten, who works as the church’s administrator, told the Belfast Telegraph: “After Boris Johnson announced the restrictions two weeks ago, Richard said he thought we should bring the wedding forward.
“I felt that there was no need and it would all be fine. Last Tuesday, when further restrictions were announced, which included closing all churches except for weddings and funerals, I realised that perhaps we should.
“We had put year-and-a-half into planning our perfect wedding but once we knew there was going to no way we would be able to get married in April, we took the opportunity while we could. That Tuesday night we clarified that we could legally marry and then set the wheels in motion for the following Saturday.”
Kirsten’s housemates helped
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with all the arrangements and took on the roles of cake bakers, florists and photographers, while one even sang at the ceremony.
She explains: “Up until Saturday I lived in a big house with nine bedrooms along with four lodgers and a family. Another family came to visit two weekends ago and ended up getting stuck with us due to self-isolation. Everyone pitched in to