Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
RELIEF AS HOUSE OF HORRORS FLATTENED
Kincora where boys in care were abused is demolished
THE demolition of a notorious boys home where dozens of youngsters were sexually and physically abused was greeted with relief yesterday.
Construction company Hagan Homes is carrying out the work at what was Kincora on the Upper Newtownards Road, East Belfast, to make way for homes.
Former resident Gary Hoy was among those who watched as a mechanical digger tore into the structure.
Democratic Unionist MLA
David Brooks described a “very significant and poignant day” particularly for former residents.
He said: “People more generally in
East Belfast will also be glad to see what is somewhat of a scar on the community gone.
“It probably should have happened sooner. I sat on the [Belfast City Council] planning committee.
“There had been previous applications; there were issues that didn’t allow the planning committee to make the decision to move on with it at that stage.
“No one on that committee was unaware of the significant that went beyond mere structures. “My party colleague Gavin Robinson MP has been pushing for quite some time when there was that hesitancy within council. I think it’s great to see the day has finally come. I can’t speak for the victims, I can only imagine the relief that might come from not having to walk past this building – drive past this building on a daily or weekly basis – and be reminded of the horrors that took place here.
“Gavin Robinson called it a memorial to misery and I think that’s what it has become, and I think everyone here will be relieved to see it gone.”
Hagan Homes bought the site in 2019 and said it was “fully aware of its notorious history and, at every step of the planning process and future activity, it continues to recognise the suffering and wrongdoings that took place here”. The Kincora home, close to Stormont’s Parliament Buildings, opened in May 1958.
It closed in October 1980 after a sex abuse scandal.
The historical institutional abuse inquiry found 39 boys were abused at Kincora.
The inquiry found no evidence security agencies were complicit.
In 1981, three men were jailed for abusing 11 boys.
A recent report by Police Ombudsman Marie Anderson said complaints from some former residents about the failure of police to investigate allegations of sexual abuse at Kincora were “legitimate and justified”.
It’s great. I can only imagine the relief of the victims DAVID BROOK DUP MLA YESTERDAY