Written Ministerial Statement

The content of this written ministerial statement is as received at the time from the Minister. It has not been subject to the official reporting (Hansard) process.

The Executive Office - Historical Institutional Abuse Public Apology

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Published at 11.30 pm on 20 January 2022.

Mr Givan (The First Minister) and Mrs O’Neill (The deputy First Minister):  Today we are announcing that the public apology to victims and survivors of Historical Institutional Abuse will be made in Parliament Buildings on Friday 11 March 2022. The apology will be delivered by us on behalf of the Executive. There will also be statements made by representatives of relevant Institutions found by the Inquiry to have been responsible for systemic failing/system abuse.

The apology will be accessible to all who wish to view it, however, numbers in Parliament Buildings will be limited due to the ongoing public health situation. The Executive Office will share details about attending the event as soon as arrangements have been confirmed.

We have been meeting with victims and survivors, representative groups, and the Commissioner for Survivors of Childhood Institutional Abuse so we can ensure the apology acknowledges the failures of a system that should have protected them.

We recognise that there are many different views on the public apology. We are announcing the date in advance as we want victims and survivors to have an opportunity to tell us their views on the arrangements and content of the apology.

We hope that the public apology will be seen as a valued means for acknowledging harm, not just for victims and survivors of abuse, but also for our society as a whole.