Villiers rules Kincora out of Westminster sex abuse inquiry

GERRY MORIARTY

First Minister Peter Robinson is to liaise with the head of the Historical Institutional Abuse Inquiry after Northern Secretary Theresa Villiers said sexual abuse at the Kincora boys' home in Belfast would not form part of an inquiry into an alleged paedophile ring at Westminster.

Amnesty responded to her decision by accusing the British government of engaging in a “conspiracy of silence” over abuse at the east Belfast home during the 1970s.

Amnesty and the North’s political parties had called for a British inquiry into allegations of a cover-up of paedophile activity at Westminster to include Kincora within its remit.

There have been persistent allegations that MI5 and the British ministry of defence were involved in a cover-up of abuse of boys at Kincora in east Belfast during the 1970s. It was alleged senior members of the British military, politicians and civil servants who allegedly abused boys at Kincora were effectively blackmailed by the British intelligence services.

The historical inquiry is also investigating Kincora, but Amnesty says it does not have power to “compel the release of files from either Whitehall or the secret services”.

Ms Villiers yesterday said that the historical inquiry, which is chaired by Sir Anthony Hart QC, was the "best- placed authority" to address the Kincora allegations. She promised the "fullest co-operation" to the inquiry from MI5 and the ministry of defence. Sir Anthony Hart welcomed Ms Villiers's "assurances" of co-operation.

First Minister Peter Robinson expressed disappointment with the decision. He welcomed, however, Ms Villiers’s pledge of MI5 and British defence ministry co-operation with the historical inquiry.

Sinn Féin, SDLP, Ulster Unionist leader Mike Nesbitt, Alliance East Belfast MP Naomi Long and Richard Cairns of the Traditional Unionist Voice party also criticised Ms Villiers's decision.