Legal proceedings have been initiated against a number of institutions in Northern Ireland alleging that Lord Mountbatten abused a boy at a notorious Belfast children’s home in the 1970s.
Arthur Smyth, a former resident of the Kincora home, has waived his anonymity to make the allegations against the earl, a great uncle of the King.
Lord Mountbatten was killed along with three others when the IRA detonated a bomb on his boat in Mullaghmore, Co Sligo, in 1979.
Smyth’s solicitor, Kevin Winters of KRW Law, said the civil action alleging negligence and breach of duty of care was being taken against several state bodies.
Earl Mountbatten was killed by the IRA in 1979 (PA)
He said he had filed a summons which would be issued in the High Court in Belfast on Tuesday.
Winters said: “Central to the case are our client’s allegations of abuse by the late Lord Louis Mountbatten.
“Understandably many abuse survivors for reasons of obvious sensitivity choose to remain anonymous. Arthur’s decision to reveal his identity must be set against this backdrop.
“It is borne out of anger at systemic state cover-up on abuse at these institutions.
Belfast solicitor Kevin Winters of KRW Law said he had instigated the civil proceedings (Liam McBurney/PA)
“He alleges to have been abused twice as an 11-year-old by the deceased royal.
“It’s the first time that someone has stepped forward to take allegations against Lord Mountbatten into a court.
“That decision hasn’t been taken lightly.
“He understands only too well that it will be a deeply unpopular case with many people coming as it does within weeks of the passing of the Queen.”
The Kincora home opened on Belfast’s Upper Newtownards Road, close to Stormont’s Parliament Buildings, in May 1958, and closed in October 1980 after a sex abuse scandal.
The Historical Institutional Abuse Inquiry found that 39 boys were abused at Kincora and in 1981 three men were jailed for abusing 11 boys.
However, it found no evidence that security agencies were complicit in the abuse.
A recent report by the Police Ombudsman for Northern Ireland (Poni) Marie Anderson said that complaints from some former residents’ about the failure of police to investigate allegations of sexual abuse at Kincora were “legitimate and justified”.
Winters said: “The recent Poni report into Kincora despite a welcome finding on police investigative failures only scratches the surface of what really went on.”
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel