Former residents of Magdalene Laundries in Northern
Ireland are calling for an inquiry into their abuse allegations -
including for those victims who were over 18 at the time.
It is thought hundreds of people across the region
could come forward with their claims of abuse if a new investigation is
established, or the current inquiry amended.
Children who were
abused by clerics in the community, and women over 18 who were in homes
such as the Magdalene Laundries, where they suffered institutional
abuse, do not fall under the existing Historical Institutional Abuse
inquiry.
But on Wednesday, they gathered to ask for the terms of that inquiry to be extended to include them.
They
are backed by Amnesty International, and Patrick Corrigan from the
organisation said it is now time for NI's politicians to take further
action.
He explained: "We are now coming to them with those other
issues too, particular groups who have been left out of the current
inquiry - children who have been abused at community or parish level,
and women who were incarcerated effectively in those Magdalene
Laundry-type institutionsand who suffered abuse, not as children, but as
adults.
"It's now time for the Executive and the Assembly to turn their attention to justice and truth for those groups too."
For the victims of abuse, Mr Corrigan said they want the state to acknowledge "the pain they went through".
He
added: "They now want to turn to our political representatives, and we
are asking today for those leaders to listen to those victims now as
adults and to give them the truth, the justice and the acknowledgement
that they crave before they finally pass away themselves."
SDLP MLA Conall McDevitt said all victims of abuse have the right to be told the truth.
"The
need to get to the bottom of what went on in the Magdalene
institutions, the needs to provide justice for those women, is every bit
as great as it was for the children who were abused in institutions,"
he said.
But UUP leader Mike Nesbitt believes there is a political reticence to begin another inquiry into abuse.
"I've
sensed on occasion, and I'm speaking personally, that there is a lack
of political will to broaden it out to make sure everybody who was
abused gets a process, gets the opportunity for truth, justice and some
sort of recompense or redress," Mr Nesbitt said.
"Some people
think they would like some money to compensate for what happened to
them. Others understand that they need support, they need services to
tackle particularly mental health and wellbeing issues, and I think
that's only fair."
The
current inquiry is investigating allegations of abuse at 35 sites
across NI, including state-run children's homes, institutions run by the
Catholic Church, borstals, and institutions run by Protestant churches
or voluntary sector organisations.
The three-year review, chaired by Sir Anthony Hart, could cost up to £19m.
After
hearing from the alleged victims, an acknowledgement forum panel will
produce a report to Sir Anthony detailing the claims.
Earlier this year, Taoiseach Enda Kenny described the Magdalene Laundries as "the nation's shame".
Speaking
in the Irish government, Mr Kenny apologised to the victims of abuse
after a report found thousands of women forced into the workhouses were
physically and verbally abused.
The 18-month inquiry found 10,000
single mothers, women, and girls as young as 11 were forced into
detention, mostly in the for-profit laundries.
More than 2,000 women
were sent to the laundries by the Irish authorities.
Some were detained for petty crime, others for disability, or pregnancy outside marriage.