Kincora Boys' Home

The Kincora Boys' Home was a boys' home in Belfast, Northern Ireland that was the scene of serious organised child sexual abuse, causing a scandal and attempted cover-up in 1980, with allegations of state collusion. The Northern Ireland Historical Institutional Abuse Inquiry began examining allegations relating to the Home on 31 May 2016, including claims that there was a paedophile ring at the home with links to the intelligence services; Northern Ireland Secretary Theresa Villiers said that all state agencies would co-operate with the inquiry.

On 20 January 2017, the Ireland Historical Institutional Abuse Inquiry concluded that the abuse which took place at Kincora Boys' Home was limited to the actions of three staff members, and did not take place with the collusion of the state or intelligence services.

The home was set up in 1958 by the local health authority to provide full-time accommodation for boys of working age (15-18) who faced an abusive or otherwise compromised home life. The Home closed in 1980 following the exposure of serious wrongdoing by staff and others, which started shortly after it opened.

The abuse first came to public attention on 24 January 1980 with a news report in the Irish Independent: "Fitt to raise 'cover up' in Westminster - Sex Racket at Children's Home". It was reported that no prosecutions had taken place, despite allegations of abuse first surfacing in 1977 and the Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) at Belfast's Strandtown and Donegall Pass stations giving the Director of Public Prosecutions a report detailing allegations of boys being sexually abused and prostituted, and naming prominent businessmen as being involved. On 3 April 1980 three members of staff at the home, William McGrath, Raymond Semple and Joseph Mains, were charged with a number of offences relating to the systematic sexual abuse of children in their care over a number of years; they were all convicted. Mains, who had been the warden, was sentenced to six years' imprisonment, Semple, an assistant warden, to five years, and McGrath was jailed in December 1981 for four years.

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