4 TRIBUTE TO INCAS FOUNDER

Andrea O’Neill

Elderly survivors of state care child abuse may not live to see the day justice is served.

This is the view of Jim Buckley, vicepresident of In Care Abuse Survivors (Incas) as he prepared to pay his final respects to the charity’s late president Frank Docherty yesterday.

Tragically, the 74-year-old grandad from The Murray, a leading campaigner for child abuse survivors, never got the closure he fought more than 20 years for after his own abuse hell growing up.

Frank suffered years of mental and physical abuse from the age of nine at the hands of nuns in Lanark’s brutal Catholic-run orphanage Smyllum Park during the 1950s.

But, thanks to his tireless campaigning, his lasting legacy is a public inquiry into the traumatic childhood experiences of survivors in care.

Along with Frank, Jim was the first in Scotland to give testimony for The Scottish Child Abuse Inquiry on the cruel regimes they were forced to endure throughout their childhoods.

The 72-year-old from Westwood spent seven years in Nazareth House in Aberdeen where he and his four younger brothers were regularly beaten.

Jim told his tragic story to the News back in 1999.

And after reading about it, Frank got in touch to tell his tale — and the rest was history.

Jim will honour Frank’s work by battling on with the justice fight for Incas’ 400 members.

He revealed he was in his 30s before he told anyone about his past.

He said: “The public inquiry team are doing a good job appealing for people to give their testimony to take it forward, but not everyone wants to bring back their past. “Frank and I were the first two people in Scotland to give testimony. We were put forward because we brought this about, but also because we were more at risk than other members in terms of our health. “I’ve had three heart operations due to catching rheumatic fever in the home when I was a child and Frank suffered ill health for years.

“He had COPD [chronic obstructive pulmonary disease] which made his breathing very difficult. He was on a nebuliser most of the day, but it never stopped him.

“Frank sat at his computer morning, noon and night speaking to survivors who were robbed of their childhood — and even putting them up in his home.”

Frank’s widow Janet revealed last week that people often came to her husband suicidal, but he had the ability to lift their spirits and promised to get them justice.

Incas is backed by award-winning Scottish actor and director Peter Mullan, whose hard-hitting film The Magdalene Sisters gave a harrowing account of life in a brutal Catholicrun home.

Victims, including an exMagdalene Asylum survivor, visited East Kilbride in 2003 to share their horrific experiences in care.

“It’s been a long, hard fight over the years but through endeavours by Frank many of these homes have been closed down”, said Jim.

Earlier this year, Frank complained to Deputy First Minister John Swinney that four Incas committee members had died before being able to seek civil redress.

Jim added: “Frank told Mr Swinney he thought ministers were waiting on all of us to die so they didn’t have to do anything about this.

“He sent an email saying how much Frank’s endeavours were appreciated.

“The Scottish Government does not recognise child abuse prior to 1964, so we wouldn’t get any compensation from the public inquiry.”

Frank exposed the scandal of child victims being buried in unmarked graves near to Smyllum Park and fought the Catholic Church for a memorial plinth to be erected at St Mary’s cemetery in Lanark where a remembrance event is held each year.

This August, Frank will be remembered along with all the other survivors, some of whom he helped, as his ashes are scattered at the site.

“Frank put his life into this, so it’s going to be strange throwing his ashes there,” Jim continued.

“It’s never going to be the same without him but we will endeavour to carry on.

“Frank’s life goal was to get justice for people who had been abused in care. He was a great man for the underdog and it was Frank’s determination that got us a public inquiry.

“You wouldn’t believe the amount of tributes being paid to Frank from all over the world.”

Jim added that, in his lifetime, he wants to see survivors get some recognition and redress and called for a lasting tribute to the man who made it all happen.

He said: “Frank didn’t believe in the Queen’s Honours List but surely something could be named after him for all his efforts?

“He deserves a lasting testimony for all the work he has put in, and it would be a great thing for his wife.”

Frank’s funeral took place at South Lanarkshire Crematorium yesterday afternoon.