Kincora Boys Home victim to receive £100k settlement

A victim of sexual abuse at the notorious Kincora Boys Home is to receive a £100,000 payout, it was announced in the High Court on Tuesday.

The settlement reached in Richard Kerr’s civil action also involved police and two Stormont departments expressing “deep regret” about his childhood exploitation.

Kerr, 64, sued over claims he was trafficked and abused while a resident at the home in east Belfast and other institutions during the 1960s and 1970s.

A paedophile ring subjected him to years of rape and molestation in a campaign covered up by the British state, it was alleged.

Damages were sought against the Department of Health (DoH), the Department of Justice (DoJ), the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) and the secretary of state for the Home Department.

The lawsuit involved claims for assault and battery, misfeasance in public office, breach of statutory duty and negligence.

In court on Tuesday, counsel for Kerr, Monye Anyadike-Danes KC, confirmed that action has been resolved.

The defendants, who deny liability, are to pay him £100,000 plus costs in a final settlement of all claims against them.