Northern Ireland
The Historical Institutional Abuse Inquiry was established by the Northern Ireland Executive (government) on 19th January 2013. It was created to investigate abuse suffered by children under the age of 18 years in institutions in Northern Ireland.
For the purposes of the inquiry, 'institution' means: 'any body, society or organisation with responsibility for the care, health or welfare of children in Northern Ireland, other than a school (but including a training school or borstal) which, during the relevant period, provided residential accommodation and took decisions about and made provision for the day to day care of children.'
There are two elements to the Inquiry: an 'acknowledgement forum' where people can relate their experiences to a Panel, and a statutory inquiry. People living in Western Australia now, particularly those who were sent to WA as child migrants from Northern Ireland, may be eligible to participate in this Inquiry.
Sources used to compile this entry: Historical Institutional Abuse Inquiry, Historical Institutional Abuse Inquiry, 2013, http://www.hiainquiry.org/; Northern Ireland Executve, Announcement of the Historical Institutional Abuse Inquiry Terms of Reference, Chair and Acknowledgement Forum Panel Members, Crown, 14 February 2013, https://web.archive.org/web/20160103150158/http://www.northernireland.gov.uk/statement-to-assembly-hia-inquiry-tor.
Prepared by: Debra Rosser
Created: 14 February 2013, Last modified: 5 November 2014