‘Insensitive’ Executive plans abuse survivors apology on European Day for Victims of Terrorism

The five executive parties have agreed to apologise to the victims and survivors of historical institutional abuse, reportedly on 11 March. The Executive set up an inquiry into historical institutional abuse of children at 22 residential institutions run by religious, charitable and state organisations across NI between 1922 and 1995 in NI.

However the planned apology clashes with the annual date for the annual European Day for Victims of Terrorism, which was instigated after Islamist terrorists killed 193 and injured 2000 in the Madrid train bombings on 11 March 2004.

TUV leader Jim Allister normally sponsors an NI event at Stormont for terror victims from all backgrounds to mark the day. Today he criticised Executive parties for not respecting the date.

“No one would quibble with an apology to the victims of institution abuse but the choice of date for the same – 11 March – is most unfortunate and suggests disinterest by the executive parties in sensitivities of victims of terrorism, because 11 March is the annual date for European Day for Victims of Terrorism,” he said.

“This is particularly an issue as there is one party – Sinn Fein – which continues to celebrate terrorists who inflicted so much hurt on countless families in Northern Ireland.”

While the event to mark the occasion this year is not actually taking place on the 11th this year, “that is nonetheless innocent victims day and the day on which numerous buildings will be lit up in their honour”, he added.

Kenny Donaldson, of Innocent Victims United, added that it is “absolutely appropriate” that the victims of institutionalised abuse receive their apology.

“Understandably some have pointed to 11th March being the official date of European Day of Remembrance for Victims of Terrorism and in the past, some have sought to play politics with this date, denying victims of terrorism the right to be acknowledged, and for Parliament Buildings to be illuminated”.

“We challenge political parties to this year step up to the plate, recognise your responsibilities to vulnerable people within this society whether they are victims of Historical Institutional Abuse or Terrorism.”

A spokesman for Survivors Together, which represents victims of institutional abuse, told the News Letter he had no idea that 11 March was the date for European Victims of Terrorism.

“In fact we felt this date was rushed through after a meeting with junior ministers in December,” said Cyril Glass. While some other institutional victims groups were pressing for an urgent apology, he said, his group wanted to delay it because it believed that there were problems with the associated Redress Board that needed to be resolved.

The DUP, UUP, Alliance Party, SDLP and Sinn Fein did not offer any comment.

:: The NI event to mark European Victims of Terrorism this year will be on 9 March 2022 at 7.30pm in The La Mon Hotel, Comber.

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