Maloney's Help Sought in Kerr Case

Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney


 

By Irish Echo Staff


Congresswoman Carolyn Maloney might be representing a New York congressional district, but she is right now being asked to take a long view stretching from Texas to Northern Ireland.


Democrat Maloney, Chairwoman of the House Oversight and Reform Committee, the main investigative committee of the United States House of Representatives, has been asked to help with what is being described by the Washington, D.C.-based Irish National Caucus as "a notorious human trafficking case."

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Maloney is co-founder of the congressional Human Trafficking Caucus.


The INC, headed by Fr. Sean McManus, recently launched a campaign to raise in the U.S. Congress the case of Richard Kerr, a victim of the infamous Kincora home for Protestant boys in Northern Ireland. Kerr today lives in Texas.


Said a Caucus release: "The home was the scene of horrible sexual child abuse and, worst still, believed by many to be a front for British intelligence gathering for purposes of blackmail and political leverage.


"In other words, yet another appalling example of State-sponsored violence, domination, injustice, and cover-up. But in this case, the victims and the targets were Protestants. Kincora was closed in 1980 but the pain and damage continue to this day."


Stated Fr. McManus: "Donal Lavery, a writer, commentator, and trainee-accountant in Belfast, contacted me and asked me if we could raise the Richard Kerr case as we raised the case of the other Protestant Belfast man, Raymond McCord, Jr., who was beaten to death in 1997 near Belfast by Protestant paramilitaries.


"Because some of those involved in the murder were British agents and police informers, the British government covered up the crime, and still to this day covers up the crime.


"And, thus, Richard Kerr, now 60 and a U.S. Citizen, continues to be a victim of the British government. We have great hopes that Congresswoman Maloney and other members of Congress will demand justice for Richard Kerr. Richard was trafficked from Belfast to Sligo, to London, to Rome, Vienna, and the United States. Now, surely he deserves all our help."


McManus noted that Congresswoman Maloney "is also a long-time Congressional Friend of the Irish National Caucus and a strong supporter of equality, justice and peace in Ireland."

 

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