The Other View

Amidst the cacophony of victims' voices there has been a notable absence of one voice that now, more than at any time must heard above all the clamour, the voice of the most vulnerable group; children.
Louise Spence in her report Unheard Voices has ensured that the voice of one group, the children of loyalist ex-prisoners is being raised. This report would not have differed greatly had it been conducted among the children of republican ex-prisoners. It is all grist to the same mill and it is a timely piece of work.

The report examines the needs and experiences of children who have been through the mill. One has only to look at the media portrayal of North Belfast to see how children whose communities and families have been at the interface of the conflict have been affected by the legacies of the troubles.
Within my own community there are people in their late twenties never mind young people who have never met with people from the other community. Within both communities there are also incorrigible elements who are determined to exploit this and ensure that polarisation and deep-seated hatreds are fostered and maintained. Their agendas are clear.

Unheard Voices is about problems that won't go away unless the powers that be recognise and react to its findings and understand that support for these innocent victims is simply an investment for future peace and stability. It is estimated that over 100, 000 children were affected by the incarceration of a parent.
They represent a substantial constituency given that the vast majority of them are from communities that have borne the brunt of the Troubles. 'Lack of accurate statistics about a victimised and stigmatised group is often an indication that the group is low status and is unlikely to be anybody's priority. This certainly seems to be the case of prisoners families.'

Their families have been torn apart. Their voices are now being heard outside the relative privacy of their homes and the remnants of family units. 'Only by increasing public awareness, and therefore consequently greater understanding of their past and present difficulties, will these children be viewed with the same compassion and understanding as the many other children throughout Northern Ireland who have also suffered..healing is an individual journey, one that is chosen, not inflicted.' The sanctimonious apologists for elitist victim groups should listen to these voices. And perhaps acknowledge that the sins of the fathers cannot be visited on the heads of the sons and daughters.

'What my da done in the past has nothin' to do with me. But people would say the blood on his hands would be transferred to his child. And I'm his child so the blood's on my hands. So I've to take whatever shite they throw at me.'
Their stories suggest there is a deep well of hurt, pain and trauma within this community that has yet to be acknowledged by wider society  'the hurt caused to the children is often compounded by the prejudicial behaviour of some adults and by the callous indifference of the state to their plight.'

The fact that children of loyalist ex-prisoners vent their hatred and hurt on the state that their incarcerated parent claimed to be defending is no longer seen by the other community as a paradox; if anything it evokes immense empathy, understanding and maybe most importantly, affinity.
Talking about their own trauma, indeed, even acknowledging that prison has taken a heavy toll on them has been a taboo subject amongst political ex-prisoners for a long time. For their families it must be difficult and disturbing: 'psychological disturbance might be interpreted as a sign of weakness, making the victim of the trauma reluctant to seek help or to discuss how they been affected.'

This report and others recently published examining the impact of long term imprisonment on politically motivated ex-prisoners and their families provide unique and revealing insights on how division, conflict and hatred have permeated our lives and determined our perceptions.
Unheard Voices is about children's ways and means of making some sense of it all. It is about a deep sense of loss and of courage in facing their pain. 'War and conflict are perceived to be predominantly adult concerns we have not in the past done enough to understand the range and depth of the consequences for children.'

It would be wrong and even dangerous to dismiss their contents. Unheard Voices must not be ignored. Children should be heard if not seen. Its findings and recommendations provide keys to unlocking doors that may hold panaceas for our future

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