Historical institutional abuse
The Northern Ireland Executive set up an inquiry and investigation into historical institutional abuse. The inquiry covered abuse of children under 18 who lived in children’s homes, borstals, training schools, juvenile justice centres, hospitals and orphanages between 1922 and 1995 in Northern Ireland.
A memorial to victims and survivors
A memorial plaque will be put up in the Great Hall at Parliament Buildings to remind law-makers about the abuse many children experienced in residential homes.
This decision comes after extensive engagement with victims and survivors of historical institutional abuse and the plaque will recognise the apology offered to victims and survivors in the Assembly Chamber on 11 March 2022.
During the consultation, some survivors have expressed interest in local memorials or a broader commemorative programme. This idea is being explored with local councils and the Arts Council to ensure survivors’ voices shape any future localised memorials.
If victims and survivors have views on this, or would like to find out more about the memorial, they can contact the team by:
- email: HIAImplementationBranch@executiveoffice-ni.gov.uk
- telephone: 028 90 522 363 between 9.00 am and 4.00 pm Monday-Friday
Contact us
Your views will be confidential, and no personal information will be kept.
If you feel you might need support, the Victims and Survivors Service can be contacted on 028 9031 1678 or by using the Victims and Survivors Service website.
Historical Institutional Abuse apology
On 11 March 2022, in the Assembly Chamber of Parliament Buildings, Ministers Michelle McIlveen, Conor Murphy, Nichola Mallon, Robin Swann and Naomi Long delivered an apology on behalf of the Northern Ireland government to the victims and survivors of Historical Institutional Abuse.
Apologies were also heard from each of the institutions where systemic failings were found in the Hart Report.
The apology proceedings can be viewed here:
Historical Institutional Abuse Apology - 11 March 2022 - YouTube
You can request a copy of the Northern Ireland Government apology statements by contacting:
hiaimplementationbranch@executiveoffice-ni.gov.uk
Redress Board and compensation scheme
Applications for compensation to the Historical Institutional Abuse Redress Board closed on 2 April 2025. The HIA Redress Board had received 5,496 applications at the closure date. The Board will continue to operate until all outstanding applications have been determined upon.
If you have any queries you can contact the HIA Implementation Branch.
You can also call the office of the Commissioner for Survivors of Institutional Childhood Abuse on 028 9089 3977.
Commissioner for Survivors of Institutional Childhood Abuse (COSICA)
Fiona Ryan was appointed as Commissioner for Survivors of Institutional Childhood Abuse (COSICA) by the First Minister Arlene Foster and Deputy First Minister Michelle O’Neill and took up post on 14 December 2020.
This post will hold a five-year term.
You can contact COSICA by post, email or telephone.
postal address:
5th Floor South
Queens Court
56 to 66 Queen Street
Belfast
BT1 6FD- email address: Info@cosica-ni.org
- telephone: 028 90 544985
- Commissioner for Survivors of Institutional Childhood Abuse
The Historical Institutional Abuse Inquiry
The independent inquiry into historical institutional abuse closed in June 2017 after 223 days of hearings.
The Inquiry investigated:
- 22 institutions in Northern Ireland
- the circumstances surrounding the sending of child migrants from Northern Ireland to Australia
- the activities of the late Father Brendan Smyth
The Inquiry had two main parts. One was the Acknowledgement Forum, whose members listened to the experiences of people who were children in residential institutions (other than schools) in Northern Ireland between 1922 and 1995.
The second part was the Statutory Inquiry, which investigated whether children suffered abuse in the same institutions between 1922 and 1995.
It gathered evidence from people who said they suffered abuse in those institutions, as well as evidence from the institutions, and evidence from government and other public bodies such as health and social care trusts.
Final report
In its report, the inquiry recommended:
- an apology
- a memorial
- additional service provision/ specialist care and help for those who were abused
- a statutory commissioner for survivors of institutional childhood abuse (COSICA)
- financial compensation to be administered by a redress board
- annual grant funding for the Child Migrants Trust
To read the final report and recommendations, go to:
Historical Institutional Abuse (Northern Ireland) Act 2019
The Historical Institutional Abuse (NI) Act 2019 became an Act of Parliament on 5 November 2019.
Support measures for survivors of historical institutional abuse
On 1 December 2020, the Victims and Survivors Service (VSS) launched a dedicated support service for survivors of historical institutional abuse.
The VSS is working in partnership with the WAVE Trauma Centre and Advice NI to deliver a range of support and services regionally across NI.
They will also make sure that survivors who are now living outside NI have access to the support and services that they need.
This will include dedicated health and wellbeing caseworker support, counselling, complementary therapies, disability aids, persistent pain and a range of other social and welfare support.
This service can be accessed from 9.00 am to 5.00 pm, Monday to Friday, by phoning 028 9031 1678 or emailing hiaenquiries@vssni.org.
Further information can be found at this link:
Reporting abuse to the PSNI
The Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) has specialist units across Northern Ireland, based within Public Protection Units (PPU), who will investigate all reports of institutional abuse.
Find your nearest child abuse investigation unit, by contacting the PSNI.
General Register Office for Northern Ireland (GRONI)
The General Register Office for Northern Ireland (GRONI) holds records of births, deaths, marriages, civil partnerships and adoptions in Northern Ireland.
There is a search room open to the public for anyone who wants to use the records to trace family members.
You can also search for records online.
Access to adoption records is more restricted. If you were adopted you can apply to see your original birth record.
Public Record Office of Northern Ireland (PRONI)
The Public Record Office holds some records which may help victims and survivors of abuse.
It also has records to help you research your family tree and advice to help you start.
PRONI does not hold:
- records of voluntary homes
- records of homes run by religious orders - these may still be with the relevant order
- files of individual children in care – from 1947 these are held by social services in Northern Ireland Health and Social Care Trusts
You can search the records online or visit PRONI and search in person.