KINCORA BOYS’ HOME SCANDAL: IMPORTANT NEW EVIDENCE OF STATE COVER-UP

KRW LAW LLP is intending to take legal action against the General Medical Council, the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, the Ministry of Defence and the PSNI following new disclosures regarding the state cover-up of the Kincora Boys’ Home abuse scandal.

 

KRW LAW LLP is instructed on behalf of number of clients who suffered sustained sexual abuse whilst ‘in the care of’ of the Kincora Boys’ Home and other institutions in Belfast during the Conflict. Our clients include Richard Kerr. Last year KRW LAW LLP challenged the authority of the Historical Institutional Abuse Inquiry to investigate the serious allegations around the Kincora Boys Home in compliance with human rights standards including compelling evidence from former members of the British security forces. Judgment in that judicial review application is listed to be handed down on the 8 April 2016.

 

We have now been made aware of further new evidence regarding the Kincora Boys’ Home following the recent publication of an article in the Spinwatch journal of public investigation regarding the activities of Dr Roderick Morrison (Morris) Fraser by Dr Niall Meehan Spinwatch 31 03 2016). Dr Fraser was a child psychologist at the Royal Hospital Belfast.

 

Fraser had been charged with sexual assault of a 13 year boy in Belfast in 1971 but was not jailed when prosecuted in 1972. The RUC knew of his sexual activities. In 1973 Fraser was arrested on similar charges in the USA and deported back to the UK. He had also previously been charged in London with similar offences.

 

Richard Kerr has said:

‘I was 13. Morris Fraser abused me, in his office, two or three times on those visits. I will never forget that face. That black hair. I have never forgotten it. He was in contact with children’s homes all over Belfast’

 

Claire McKeegan, Associate, KRW LAW LLP, said today:

‘’We are aware that Morris Fraser was involved in selecting children to go into care homes including Kincora and went on to abuse boys for over 20 years. The relevant authorities knew about it but covered it up. Previous inquiries failed to investigate what amounted to state – sponsored abuse of children of the worst kind. We intend to add these other agencies to the ongoing legal action arising out of the Kincora Boys’ Home abuse scandal”

 

The General Medical Council reviewed the case against Fraser between 1974 and 1975 and were aware of the charge against him in 1971 in the North of Ireland: they were not made aware of the charges from New York. He continued to practice until 1995 facilitating the paedophile practices of other abusers. By 1973 Fraser was an accepted authority on the effects of the ‘Troubles’ on vulnerable children in the North’s strife torn urban centres. He was well placed – and institutionally protected – to continue to abuse children and to inform policy and decision making regarding the running of homes such as Kincora and Whiteabbey.

 

The activities of Fraser has been previously been revealed as being known to the British security forces in the North of Ireland at the time. However, his apparent medical and academic credibility served to protect him and therefore others known to be using Kincora and other institutions to conduct paedophile criminality and subsequently blackmailed or recruited as agents of the British state.

 

We have noted before that Kincora marks a particularly low point in the history of the Conflict in the North of Ireland and the practices and policies of the British security forces.  We will be taking instruction from our other clients regarding further possible legal actions including a civil suit against the General Medical Council for misfeasance and negligence.

 


 

Contact:

 

Claire McKeegan claire@kevinrwinters.com

 

KRW LAW LLP
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Belfast
Co Antrim
BT1 6EA

Tel: 028 9024 1888
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