A VICTIM of historic child abuse at a Catholic Church children’s home in Northern Ireland is to make an emotional return to her hometown in a bid to trace her long lost family.
Kate Walmsley, 60, was seven years old when she was taken from her Glasgow home and placed in the care of the Sisters of Nazareth in Derry, Northern Ireland, after the break-up of her parents’ marriage.
While there she was regularly sexually assaulted by a priest and beaten by the nuns. After more than five decades away from home Kate is to make her first trip back to Scotland tomorrow where she hopes to trace some family members.
“I have always wanted to go back to the place where I remember being happy, before all the abuse. I finally feel it is time,” said Kate.
“I just want to stand on the street I used to live with my parents. I have so many happy memories of there.
“Even still, when I close my eyes, I can feel my mummy’s hand holding mine walking me to school.
“That is the last time I remember being truly happy.”
Kate said from around the age of three to seven she lived on Garscube Road in Glasgow and some of her relatives owned a fruit and vegetable shop on the corner.
Following the break-up of her parents’ relationship her father took her to Northern Ireland and placed her in Nazareth Lodge in Derry.
“I am both excited and anxious about going back to Scotland. I just want to stand where I was when I was happy with my mummy. The memories are very special to me.
“I feel like I was stripped of my identity after I was put in Nazareth House in Derry.
“I just want to have a sense of belonging and I am hoping that going back to Glasgow to try and find my family will give me that,” she said.
Before travelling to Glasgow, Kate and Margaret McGuckin, of the campaign group Survivors and Victims of Institutional Abuse (Savia), are to join other victims at an Edinburgh vigil on the Scottish child abuse inquiry’s opening day.
The inquiry was set up on October 1, 2015, and public hearings are to begin tomorrow.
The Northern Ireland Child Abuse Inquiry found that children’s homes run by some churches, charities and state institutions in Northern Ireland were the scene of widespread abuse and mistreatment of young residents.
Kate, who gave evidence to the Northern Ireland inquiry, said she wanted to encourage victims in Scotland to come forward and have their voices heard.
“Before the inquiry in Northern Ireland, I thought I would bring all that I went through to the grave.
“But I now have peace within because I was able to talk about it.
“Before the inquiry I was giving up on my life. I just didn’t want to go on.
“It was very hard and emotional taking part in the inquiry, but the support of Savia and all the other victims helped me through. I feel I am now an open book,” said Kate.
Margaret added: “We have been through the inquiry process and can give advice.
“You can free yourself by putting it back on the shoulders of those who perpetrated the abuse.
“You have to go back to come forward. I would encourage all survivors to come forward.”
The Scottish survivors of historic abuse will be joined by survivors from Northern Ireland as well as politicians from both Scotland and the Northern Ireland Assembly at the Edinburgh vigil.
Survivors from the campaign group Safe, who have organised the vigil, want to encourage people who have been affected by historic abuse to come forward and give evidence to the inquiry.
At 1pm survivors will hold a minute’s silence to remember those children whose lives have been taken by abusers, along with those who have lost their lives from the affects of abuse and those who have died without justice.
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