Debate contribution: Troubles-related Sexual Crimes and Child Sexual Abuse

Debate contribution by Ms Sinéad McLaughlin on 17 February 2026.

MLA

Ms Sinéad McLaughlin

Party at the time

Social Democratic and Labour Party

Date

17 February 2026

Type

Debate contribution

Business

Private Members' Business

Heading

Troubles-related Sexual Crimes and Child Sexual Abuse

Assembly identifier

Official Report component 5395026

Read the official Assembly record

Text

I welcome the opportunity to speak to today's motion and to place on record the SDLP's support for it. I also note that both SDLP MPs are co-signatories of the amendment to the Northern Ireland Troubles Bill that seeks to give legislative effect to what we are debating today. The SDLP further urges Members across the House to have their colleagues support the amendment challenging the limited definition of "serious physical or mental harm". That definition matters because it is drawn too narrowly. Victims whose suffering was real, lasting and devastating risk being excluded yet again. At the heart of the motion lies an uncomfortable truth about our past. For too long, the narrative of the Troubles has often been framed in such a way as to soften or obscure the lived reality of the many victims. The full story is not simply one of causes or communities; it is a story of profound harm. It is the story of women who were subjected to violence and intimidation; of abuse that went unreported because reporting was impossible; of individuals who wielded power without accountability; and of families who were forced to leave their home in order to seek nothing more than safety and normality, which were sometimes very hard to find. Women in particular paid a heavy price. Many endured domestic abuse, sexual violence and coercion in circumstances where fear and silence were enforced. They would have been called traitors to their community and neighbours. They lived in fear. Too often, their suffering was overshadowed by other atrocities or was dismissed entirely, and that must be acknowledged with absolute honesty. We call on the Assembly, London, Dublin and all those with influence over legacy to recognise clearly that gender-based violence formed part of the lived experience of the conflict and its aftermath. I turn to the Northern Ireland Troubles Bill. Significant challenges remain if the legislation is to command confidence. It is welcome that we are now discussing a bilateral approach between the British and Irish Governments through the joint framework. That marks a necessary shift away from the unilateralism that characterised earlier efforts. The previous legacy legislation was deeply flawed. It was rejected by every party in Northern Ireland and by the overwhelming majority of victims' and survivors' groups. It diminished the rule of law, created the perception of a hierarchy of victims and undermined confidence that justice and human rights were being upheld. The joint framework at least creates a space for more credible pathways. It recognises that the consequences of the Troubles were never confined to Northern Ireland: lives were shattered across these islands. Communities everywhere carry the legacy of the violence. I particularly welcome the ending of the immunity scheme. Victims have too often seen arrangements that appear to place perpetrators beyond the reach of justice. Time and again, victims were asked to accept compromise while their suffering remained unresolved. Moving away from immunity is, therefore, essential to rebuild trust. Let us be clear: violence was not inevitable — not at all — and many of us chose not to go down that route. Violence was a choice. Directing terrorism was a choice. The use of agents, collusion and unlawful action were choices. Those choices had consequences for innocent people whose lives were changed for ever. Disclosure must be central to any credible legacy process. Security institutions must accept that, where collusion occurred, it, too, was a crime against humanity. It cannot be shielded by excessive secrecy or the misuse of national security provisions. Without genuine transparency, any new legacy mechanism will only struggle to gain the confidence of victims and the wider public. Victims and families have waited decades for truth. They deserve more than practical accounts or carefully managed narratives. They deserve the full, unvarnished truth, however horrible it is, about how both state and non-state actors operated. Anything less will perpetuate hurt, mistrust and injustice.

652 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.

Assessment

Not flagged

Jev’s structured answers

Assessed 21 October 2026 at 14:52 UTC by jev-1.13.0 (requested as typesafe/jev) under rubric 2026.10-r9, methodology 1.9.

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