A social worker giving evidence to the Historical Abuse Inquiry about the former St Joseph's Catholic children's home in Termonbacca, Northern Ireland, said she believed a nun accused of abuse was "very caring".
The inquiry is examining claims of abuse at 13 homes and training centres in Northern Ireland from 1922 to 1995.
The woman said Termonbacca was in large grounds with a high gate and could seem "intimidating" to young children.
She said she believed children were well fed and well dressed as well as having a roof over their heads.
But, she said: "They were very institutionalised. I would have been concerned for their emotional welfare".
When asked about one nun, whose name is not being revealed, the former social worker replied: "I thought highly of her, I thought she was very caring.
"She did have a lot of children in her care, but I thought she did try and see them as individuals. And I thought she wanted the best for them."
The woman also told the inquiry that no child ever complained to her about sex abuse at the home.
She said she was only aware of one case of physical abuse, when a nun admitted grabbing a 13-year-old boy by the throat.
In February, a former resident of St Joseph's Catholic children's home, Termonbacca, told the Historical Abuse Inquiry that he is partially deaf because of the beatings he received there.
Michael McMoran said one nun targeted him for 10 years, hitting him about the head with a brush, mop or tree branch.
The 53-year-old told the inquiry, sitting in Banbridge, that one nun lost her temper and he was her scapegoat.
In a statement, the nun said she had not beaten him with a stick or a strap. She said she was surprised that he had made such allegations.
When that statement was read to Mr McMoran, who has waived his right to anonymity, he said: "She's a liar." He described the nun as "wicked".
Later, the inquiry heard from a 44-year-old woman who said she had been sexually abused by a priest while she was at Termonbacca children's home.
Allison Diver, who has also waived her right to anonymity, said the priest abused her several times.
In a statement to the inquiry, she said that on one occasion when he assaulted her, she vomited and the nuns made her clean it up.
She never told anyone that the abuse had taken place, the inquiry heard.
Ms Diver said she did not tell told social workers anything, adding that "you learned to sit there and shut up because they could move you to 40 homes".
The priest has given a statement to the inquiry denying all allegations against him.
Afterwards, Ms Diver told the BBC it had been terrifying at the beginning to give evidence to the inquiry.
"I can't believe I was strong and I was able to go through it and I feel so so much better for being able to do it," she said.
"It actually starts to help make sense of things in my own head now. It takes away the keys and locks that I would be putting on my own memories."
She said she had not expected the priest to admit the alleged abuse. "It would have been nice if he had admitted it, but I would never be lucky that way," she said. "Although it would have been easier to close the chapter by him being able to say: 'I did that and I'm sorry'."
In January, testimony was given to the inquiry about the nuns beat them with bamboo canes and straps.
One witness reported sexual abuse by older boys to a nun. The sister allegedly said: "You are a bad boy, you are going to hell, nothing like that ever happened."
One former resident called the nuns "nearly psychotic". He alleged that at age five or six he was taken out of bed at night and sexually abused in a bathroom by a woman, perhaps a nun or a civilian worker.
"It was something that was happening outside my body... I am not there although I am there," he said.
He added: "It is as clear today, sadly, because I would love it not to be so clear but the effects of it were monumental."
One resident said, "I never heard children cry like I have in that place, it was one of despair and that still haunts me a little bit, it was a scream of despair."
The inquiry is investigating abuse claims against children's residential institutions in Northern Ireland from 1922 to 1995.
Termonbacca and another Derry home, Nazareth House, were run by the Sisters of Nazareth.
The inquiry, being held in Banbridge, County Down, is chaired by retired judge Sir Anthony Hart and is considering cases in 13 residential institutions.
Public hearings are due to finish in June 2015, with the inquiry team to report to the Northern Ireland Executive by the start of 2016.
Please pray that the truth will emerge and that, if guilty, those who abused the children in their care will admit it and apologize to the children and to God. Pray that all the abused children (now adults) will have the opportunity to tell their story and be able to move on with their lives.
And thank God everyday if you did not have to grow up in such an environment.
The inquiry is examining claims of abuse at 13 homes and training centres in Northern Ireland from 1922 to 1995.
The woman said Termonbacca was in large grounds with a high gate and could seem "intimidating" to young children.
 |
| St Joseph's Catholic children's home, Termonbacca, was run by the Sisters of Nazareth order of nuns |
But, she said: "They were very institutionalised. I would have been concerned for their emotional welfare".
When asked about one nun, whose name is not being revealed, the former social worker replied: "I thought highly of her, I thought she was very caring.
"She did have a lot of children in her care, but I thought she did try and see them as individuals. And I thought she wanted the best for them."
The woman also told the inquiry that no child ever complained to her about sex abuse at the home.
She said she was only aware of one case of physical abuse, when a nun admitted grabbing a 13-year-old boy by the throat.
In February, a former resident of St Joseph's Catholic children's home, Termonbacca, told the Historical Abuse Inquiry that he is partially deaf because of the beatings he received there.
Michael McMoran said one nun targeted him for 10 years, hitting him about the head with a brush, mop or tree branch.
 |
| Michael McMoran, partially deaf from all the beatings |
The 53-year-old told the inquiry, sitting in Banbridge, that one nun lost her temper and he was her scapegoat.
In a statement, the nun said she had not beaten him with a stick or a strap. She said she was surprised that he had made such allegations.
When that statement was read to Mr McMoran, who has waived his right to anonymity, he said: "She's a liar." He described the nun as "wicked".
Later, the inquiry heard from a 44-year-old woman who said she had been sexually abused by a priest while she was at Termonbacca children's home.
Allison Diver, who has also waived her right to anonymity, said the priest abused her several times.
In a statement to the inquiry, she said that on one occasion when he assaulted her, she vomited and the nuns made her clean it up.
She never told anyone that the abuse had taken place, the inquiry heard.
Ms Diver said she did not tell told social workers anything, adding that "you learned to sit there and shut up because they could move you to 40 homes".
The priest has given a statement to the inquiry denying all allegations against him.
 |
| Allison Diver accused priest of repeated sexual abuse |
"I can't believe I was strong and I was able to go through it and I feel so so much better for being able to do it," she said.
"It actually starts to help make sense of things in my own head now. It takes away the keys and locks that I would be putting on my own memories."
She said she had not expected the priest to admit the alleged abuse. "It would have been nice if he had admitted it, but I would never be lucky that way," she said. "Although it would have been easier to close the chapter by him being able to say: 'I did that and I'm sorry'."
In January, testimony was given to the inquiry about the nuns beat them with bamboo canes and straps.
One witness reported sexual abuse by older boys to a nun. The sister allegedly said: "You are a bad boy, you are going to hell, nothing like that ever happened."
One former resident called the nuns "nearly psychotic". He alleged that at age five or six he was taken out of bed at night and sexually abused in a bathroom by a woman, perhaps a nun or a civilian worker.
"It was something that was happening outside my body... I am not there although I am there," he said.
He added: "It is as clear today, sadly, because I would love it not to be so clear but the effects of it were monumental."
One resident said, "I never heard children cry like I have in that place, it was one of despair and that still haunts me a little bit, it was a scream of despair."
The inquiry is investigating abuse claims against children's residential institutions in Northern Ireland from 1922 to 1995.
Termonbacca and another Derry home, Nazareth House, were run by the Sisters of Nazareth.
The inquiry, being held in Banbridge, County Down, is chaired by retired judge Sir Anthony Hart and is considering cases in 13 residential institutions.
Public hearings are due to finish in June 2015, with the inquiry team to report to the Northern Ireland Executive by the start of 2016.
Please pray that the truth will emerge and that, if guilty, those who abused the children in their care will admit it and apologize to the children and to God. Pray that all the abused children (now adults) will have the opportunity to tell their story and be able to move on with their lives.
And thank God everyday if you did not have to grow up in such an environment.
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