This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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Information for abuse survivors
01/04/2005
Survivors of abuse in children's homes or List D schools
can now access information held in government files.
Sensitive personal information has been removed from the
files, allowing them to be opened to the public.
Recognising that it can be traumatic for people to read
papers relating to their experiences, a helpline has also
been set up -
08448 000 223 - run by Who Cares? Scotland
and available on a Tuesday and Wednesday from 6-8pm.
Education Minister Peter Peacock said:
"We all know that childhood experiences can stay with us
for the rest of our lives. This is particularly true for
the survivors of childhood abuse, many of whom were
vulnerable youngsters and found themselves abused by the
people who should have been caring for them.
"I have met some of the survivors and I know they find
the difficulties in accessing information - which they may
need to pursue a civil court case or simply to obtain a
sense of closure - particularly frustrating.
"That's why we pledged to make all the information we
hold available and to put in place support for those who
need it.
"Although the information we have is relatively limited,
this is an important step forward. For the first time,
people who lived in a children's home or List D school will
be able to find out easily what - if any - information we
hold about their children's home or school.
"Many of those who contact us will find we hold no
information relevant to their time at the home or school.
But we will have removed the uncertainty that currently
exists. I know that some organisations that ran children's
homes or List D schools have opened their files and I hope
that this will encourage others to do so in order that
those who attended these institutions can gain a better
understanding of their time there."