Lisnevin: Inquiry hears claims of sectarian abuse at County Down school

Staff at a state-run young offenders' school subjected some residents to sectarian abuse, the Historical Institutional Abuse Inquiry has heard.

The claims were made by former residents at Lisnevin Training School, County Down, that closed 12 years ago.

One former resident said he was subjected to "sectarian abuse from other residents and from staff".

Another man who was there as a teenager, said he "was called sectarian names by staff on many occasions".

The inquiry has also heard that there were "fights daily between Catholic and Protestant residents" at Lisnevin.

It operated as a training school between 1976 and 2003.

The HIA inquiry resumed its work in Northern Ireland on Tuesday and is examining allegations of child abuse at young offenders centres in Northern Ireland.

As well as Lisnevin, it will focus on allegations about St Patrick's Training School and Hydebank Young Offenders' Centre in Belfast and Rathgael Training School in Bangor.

The HIA inquiry was set up in 2013 to investigate child abuse in residential institutions in Northern Ireland over a 73-year period, up to 1995.

In total, the inquiry is expected to hear from more than 300 witnesses during the course of the public evidence sessions.

It is required to complete its hearings and all investigative work by mid-summer 2016, and has to submit its report to the Northern Ireland Executive by 17 January 2017.

Among its recommendations could be compensating victims who have alleged they were abused.