Mother-and-baby homes: Police launch criminal investigation

The former nuns' residence at the Marianvale mother-and-baby home in Newry, County Down

Police are to launch an investigation into allegations of physical and sexual abuse involving mother and baby homes and Magdalene Laundries.

On Tuesday, the a panel of experts called for a public inquiry into institutions for "unmarried mothers".

Police have now said officers from the Historical Child Abuse Team will be investigating the institutions.

A dedicated reporting system is also in place to make it easier for people who suffered to come forward, they said.

Det Ch Supt Anthony McNally said the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) welcomed the report into homes in Northern Ireland.

"We also recognise the profound impact on the lives of those who were in mother and baby homes and Magdalene Laundries, and the concerns of the wider public on how they were operated," he said.

"All reports we receive will be examined thoroughly and any criminality detected will be robustly investigated."

He called on anyone who had been the victim of abuse or any criminal act arising out of the institutions, or who has information, to come forward.

"We care about what you have to say, will listen and support you, and will act to keep you and others safe," he said.

Det Supt Anthony McNally said police recognised the "profound impact" on the lives of those affected.

The investigation follows a report in which women said they were detained against their will, used as unpaid labour and had to give up babies for adoption.

Speaking earlier on Wednesday, Dr Maeve O'Rourke, a member of the Truth Recovery Design Team which called for a public inquiry, said: "It's not too late for anything to be investigated even though of course, the fact that the police have delayed so long means that, unfortunately, many people will be denied criminal justice," she said.

"But it certainly still requires investigation and the issue here is access to evidence.

"The police need to be gathering and accessing the records that show how these systems ran, they cannot solely rely on people's testimony."

The three-strong panel also advised that there should be immediate redress payments to survivors, following what was described as "one of the great scandals of our time".

The devolved government at Stormont committed to an investigation after research into mother-and-baby homes and Magdalene Laundries was published.

The Truth Recovery Design Team has called for a public inquiry to be held into institutions for unmarried mothers.

Dr O'Rourke met Stormont ministers on Tuesday.

She reiterated the demand for a public inquiry and the need for the production of witnesses and documents.

"It should be focused on providing extensive services to help survivors and relatives to access information they've been previously denied," she said.

She said information was needed to "uncover systems of abuse, the types of harm and the human rights violations that will then inform the public inquiry".

"Many people want to speak publicly while not being challenged, that's something that has not been tried on this island."

She said she discussed the "very quick statutory preservation requirement to be introduced in legislation criminalising the destruction of any relevant records that institutions held".

The first and deputy first ministers have said the Northern Ireland Executive would consider the recommendations and "next steps will be set out by the executive as soon as possible".