DAILY NEWS

Lord Mayor of Belfast to meet victims of clerical abuse today

BBC Northern Ireland reports that Niall O Donnghaile is due to talk to members of the group, Survivors and Victims of Institutional Abuse, outside the former children’s home, Nazareth House, on Belfast’s Ormeau Road.

The building has now been demolished.

Among those taking part will be Deirdre O’Donoghue, 55, from Yorkshire who suffered abuse at the home where she lived as a child for eight years.

The group is calling for an independent public inquiry into the abuse and for the establishment of a redress process.

Earlier this year, the group met members of the special Roman Catholic Church inquiry, announced by Pope Benedict to investigate abuse.

It has held meetings across Northern Ireland the the Republic of Ireland.

Last July, victims of child abuse within the Catholic Church in NI delivered a letter to the first and deputy first ministers at Stormont.

They want a compensation fund and an inquiry to be set up.

They have also called for an apology to acknowledge they were wronged by state agencies.

Peter Robinson and Martin McGuinness said they would meet them. But the victims said the Executive should be dealing with the issue more urgently.