Historical abuse victims ‘lied in hope of payouts’ Former Midland police inspector claims inquiry was ‘hijacked’
AFORMER West Midlands Police officer has accused victims of institutional childhood abuse of lying to a Government inquiry to win compensation.
Labour Party activist Bernard McEldowney is due to stand for the Bromsgrove ward of Woodvale in the county council elections in May.
But the retired police inspector has sparked fury in Northern Ireland after attacking a Government inquiry into the institutional abuse of children dating back decades.
He claims the inquiry was ‘hijacked’ by people who lied to win compensation, including former residents of St Joseph’s Children’s Home in Londonderry, where he himself was a resident.
The home was one of 22 institutions investigated by the Historical Institutional Abuse Inquiry, which found that hundreds of children were physically and sexually abused – and should receive both an apology and compensation payments of up to £100,000 each.
“What makes me extremely angry is that the reputations of many good nuns have been ruined due to the many lies that have been told to, and believed by, the HIA Inquiry,” said Mr McEldowney. “I am a former police officer and submitted a significant amount of evidence to the inquiry. In a number of cases, I have been able to prove conclusively that some of the alleged victims had lied. I have no problem with real victims having their abuse investigated and acknowledged by the authorities – but, for many of the people who hijacked this inquiry, this was all about getting their grubby hands on compensation, even if it meant ruining the reputations of many good, innocent people.”
Mr McEldowney spent 16 years at St Joseph’s, which was run by Sisters of Nazareth nuns. He left in 1978 at the age of 18.
“I had a wonderful childhood there and will always be grateful to the nuns who cared for me for all those years,” he said. “I was raised with many of the alleged victims. We have socialised on many occasions over the past 40-plus years. At no time during any of those occasions did I hear any of them refer to the nuns or
The reputations of many good nuns have been ruined due to the many lies that have been told
Termonbacca in a derogatory manner. When the inquiry was established, it should have been made clear from the outset that compensation would not be considered and that the inquiry was being established solely to identify failings in order that apologies or acknowledgments could be made to victims, and that lessons could be learned.”
Mr McEldowney is due to stand in the Worcestershire County Council elections in May. Peter McDonald, leader of the Labour Party County Council group, said: “Bernard was speaking as an individual. They were his personal views and nothing to do with the Labour Party.”
Bernard McEldowney