FBGA Press Release "Time to Listen" 6th February 2010
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Dear MSP, The Scottish Government, the Commissioners, Quarriers and its Trustees,
We, the True Victim-survivors of Quarriers, issue this statement in response to the announcement by the Scottish Government and the Quarriers Trustees, of 5th February 2010, concerning the proposed Pilot Forum, "Time to be Heard".
To-date eight ex-employees from former children's care homes, Quarriers Homes, have been convicted in the Scottish Criminal Courts of abusing children in the organisation's past care. No other care home in the UK has had so many ex-employees convicted, and yet there has been no Enquiry whatsoever into this scandal.
"FBGA call for Justice, Accountability, Acknowledgement, Restitution, and Reparation for all True Victim-survivors of past crimes committed against children in former institutions in Scotland."
Quarriers, today, is Scotland's 3rd largest charity. The safety and protection of the individuals in its care today cannot be assured until the failures and culture of the past Quarriers organisations care systems are fully investigated, scrutinised and those responsible held fully accountable.
The previous "IF abuse occurred..." apology by Quarriers in the Scottish Parliament in 2004, proved meaningless and worthless. Counsel for Quarriers subsequently submitted to the Courts that "They did not amount to averments of an admission of abuse or liability".
Quarriers opposed vehemently the removal of TimeBar within the Scottish Law Commission report of 2006 concerning these cases.
Quarriers and its Trustees have consistently refused to accept liability or accountability in the Courts. Quarriers underhand tactics throughout have been deliberately obstructive to an amicable resolution of these cases, including engaging Dr Janet Boakes (so called false memory expert) while contesting Civil Court cases, previously upheld in the Criminal Courts, causing further untold damage to already vulnerable and damaged adults.
The Scottish Government should not seek to impose a solution on the true victim-survivors of Scottish institutional abuse that they simply do not want.
We say it is "Time to Listen" to us, the voices of the True Victim-Survivors, that the abusers and Quarriers have attempted to silence, discredit and undermine all these years, to acknowledge fully and accept full liability for the damage and destruction, heaped on countless former children who were supposed to be cared for by the Quarriers organisation down the generations to this day.
The testimonies, facts and evidence as presented by the Quarriers victims to the Scottish police and the Scottish Criminal Courts which resulted in the conviction of the largest number of ex-employees of any care home in the UK, must form the basis for any legitimate Pilot Forum proposed, to enquire into allegations and claims of historical abuse concerning Quarriers Homes.
The Quarriers Victims will not have our honesty and integrity, tainted or tarnished by those who seek to pursue false allegations or embellish their abuse testimonies in any flawed Pilot Forum as being currently proposed.
To the Quarriers Homes abusers convicted in the Scottish Courts, we say "There are "Victims" abused by you who are prepared to reach out and extend the hand of reconciliation, compassion and forgiveness".
Once more, we offer Quarriers, its Trustees and The Commissioners a "Time to Listen" and engage in direct discussions and enter into meaningful and genuine dialogue with the Quarriers, True Victim-Survivors. We seek a just and equitable resolution for all the Quarriers Victims, one which does not inflict further pain or damage on those who were abused in Quarriers organisation's past care.
To view all the FBGA historical abuse issues, including the proposal for a Judicial Inquiry submitted to the Scottish and UK Governments, please visit our web site or contact fbga1@aol.com.