A WOMAN who suffered abuse at the hands of Catholic nuns while in care has urged other victims to come forward.

Deirdre Harper, 57, of Birkby, has campaigned for many years for an inquiry into claims of systematic abuse in children’s homes in Northern Ireland.

An independent inquiry is now underway and Mrs Harper is encouraging others to tell their stories.

“It’s a terrible subject for people to speak about, difficult for the person concerned and for their families as well, but it is important to tell people what they have gone through,” she said.

“This inquiry allows people to report what happened confidentially and there is no need to give evidence if they don’t want to.”

The Historical Institutional Abuse Inquiry is looking into claims of mental, physical and sexual abuse in children’s homes between 1945 and 1995.

Some of the worst alleged abuse took place at the now demolished Nazareth House in Belfast where Deirdre lived for eight years in the 1960s.

The inquiry is in two parts, the first being the Acknowledgement Forum where a panel of four listen to stories from abuse victims.

The forum’s website officially opened on October 1.