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KRW Historic Abuse Team Calls for Immediate Engagement by OFMDFM on Clerical Abuse Recommendations
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KRW Historic Abuse Team Calls for Immediate Engagement by OFMDFM on Clerical Abuse Recommendations

26 Nov KRW Historic Abuse Team Calls for Immediate Engagement by OFMDFM on Clerical Abuse Recommendations

Posted at 14:09h in Media Archive by

KRW Law’s Historic Abuse Team have now been instructed to issue formal Pre-Action Protocol correspondence immediately against the Office of the First and Deputy First Minister (OFMDFM) on behalf of members of the clerical abuse Reference Group. This step reflects the growing frustration among survivors at the lack of progress and the need to ensure accountability through all available legal channels.

 

We urge the Executive to take decisive action on the recommendations arising from the comprehensive research into clerical sexual abuse in Northern Ireland. These recommendations, submitted in July 2025 and endorsed by survivors and the Inter-Departmental Working Group (IDWG), remain unimplemented, causing deep concern among victims and advocacy groups.

 

Survivors, including Tony Gribben of the Dromore Group alongside a cross-denominational network of affected individuals, have consistently called for leadership and transparency. Despite extensive engagement and evidence-based research conducted between 2023 and 2025, political inaction has led to what survivors describe as a “crisis of confidence” in Stormont’s handling of clerical sexual abuse.

 

The research process culminated in the completion of a report and six inter-dependent recommendations, including an overarching call for a statutory public inquiry. These proposals were developed collaboratively by survivors, researchers, and government representatives to ensure trauma-informed and survivor-engaged policymaking.

 

KRW Historic Abuse Team emphasizes:

  • Immediate implementation of all recommendations without further delay.
  • Direct engagement between OFMDFM and survivors to restore trust and ensure accountability.

Recent safeguarding failures within the Presbyterian Church in Ireland underscore the urgency of action. As Tony Gribben stated:

 

“Hardly a day passes without another story of Church-based sexual abuse grabbing the headlines. It is time for decision-makers in Stormont to grasp the nettle and make bold policy decisions that will stamp out clerical sexual abuse once and for all.”

 

KRW Historic Abuse Team stands ready to support OFMDFM in delivering justice, truth, and protection for future generations.