DUNCLUTHA Children’s Home in Hunter’s Quay will come under the spotlight next year as part of the Scottish Child Abuse Inquiry, (SCAI).
The comprehensive inquiry, which was established almost ten years ago, is currently in phase eight of its proceedings as it examines the historical abuse of children in residential care between 1930 and 2014.
The SCAI widened their scrutiny of historic allegations of abuse back in 2018 when they listed 17 more institutions to their inquiry. Dunclutha Children’s Home in Hunters Quay was on that list and now almost seven years later the facility will feature as part of the SCAI in the latter half of next year.
An important distinction must be made between the old Dunclutha, (which is now a garden centre), and the existing facility, which is still a local authority residential care home.
In 2014 Argyll and Bute Council announced that a new £1m custom-built home would replace the old Dunclutha in Kirn and the views of children, young people and staff were taken on board in the design of facility, which now sits at the rear of the old Dunclutha site.
The SCAI’s investigation is only concerned with allegations of abuse at the original Dunclutha Children’s Home and not the current facility and a number of witness statements have already been submitted to the inquiry.
A few of those statements can be read online and are from those who stayed at Dunclutha many years ago. However the details of what happened to them while they were residents have been heavily redacted with black boxes. The printed message across the censored details reads: ‘to be published later.’
Leading the inquiry is The Right Honourable Lady Smith KC PC, a retired senior judge who was appointed chair of the SCAI in 2016. Lady Smith recently explained how various local authority establishments, including Dunclutha, will be looked at during the inquiry.
She explained: ‘The Inquiry’s wide-ranging Terms of Reference include requiring us to investigate the provision of residential care for children in establishments run by local authorities.They also require investigations to focus on establishments into which local authorities placed children in care.”
Lady Smith added: “We plan to hold public hearings and expect that they will be able to commence in the second half of 2025. Our investigations have been ongoing throughout the life of the Inquiry.
A number of people have already come forward, but we would encourage anyone with relevant information to get in touch with the Inquiry’s witness support team as soon as possible.’
The Inquiry’s witness support team can be contacted on 0800 0929 300, or emailed at [email protected]. Individuals can also write to the Inquiry by post at SCAI, PO Box 24202, Edinburgh EH3 1JN.
