Kincora, Whitewashing The Secret History Of Britain’s Dirty War In Ireland

With informed observers, including lawyers, journalists and politicians, already predicting a whitewash there seems little hope that Britain is ready to face up to one of the dirtiest aspects of its dirty war in Ireland: the Kincora Boys’ Home Scandal. From a short article in the Guardian newspaper:

“The judge heading up a new inquiry into the Kincora boys’ home in which it is alleged that MI5 blackmailed a paedophile ring that operated there during the Troubles has stated he is satisfied all government departments have handed over files relating to the scandal.

Critics of the way the inquiry into Kincora has been framed expressed fears the government would use the Official Secrets Act to prevent the Banbridge-based investigation gaining access to files from MI5 and MI6 relating to the alleged use of sex abusers as spies on fellow hardline Ulster loyalists.

At least 29 boys were sexually abused by Kincora housemaster and prominent Orange Order member William McGrath and others at the east Belfast home. One boy is said to have killed himself by jumping off a ferry into the Irish Sea in the late 1970s, following years of abuse.

The judge made a direct appeal to three men who over the years had made allegations the security forces not only turned a blind eye to the abuse of boys at Kincora but used this information to blackmail the perpetrators into becoming informants. He noted that former army intelligence officer Colin Wallace, the former loyalist activist Roy Garland, and Brian Gemmell have thus far refused to give evidence in person to the inquiry.

Wallace has consistently claimed that MI5, RUC special branch and military intelligence knew about the abuse going on at Kincora and used it to blackmail the paedophile ring to spy on hardline loyalists.

In 1980 Wallace was arrested and convicted of manslaughter. He spent six years in jail amid suggestions he had been framed. His conviction for manslaughter was quashed in 1996 in the light of fresh forensic evidence and shortcomings at his trial. In 1990, Margaret Thatcher was forced to admit that her government had deceived parliament and the public about Wallace’s role.

An independent investigation by David Calcutt QC found that members of MI5 had interfered with disciplinary proceedings against Wallace. As a result, Wallace was awarded £30,000 compensation.”

Historian, Niall Meehan, has a fuller report on the nausea-inducing activities of the UK intelligence services in collusion with members of the British establishment during the late 1960s, ’70s and early 1980s.