Law firms made abuse victims ill

The executive's junior ministers have said that "intense pressure" from law firms has led to some victims of sexual abuse being hospitalised.DUP MLA Jonathan Bell alleged victims had been made physically and mentally ill following harassment by lawyers.Last month, the executive announced the scope of an inquiry into allegations of abuse in children's homes and care institutions as far back as 1945.The Law Society said it had not been contacted by the ministers or victims.Mr Bell and his Sinn Fein colleague Martina Anderson said both solicitors' companies and lobbying groups were both responsible for approaching victims and should stop immediately.The DUP minister said that in some cases face-to-face contact had continued despite victims telling those approaching them to stop.He added: "Conversations are still being held to the point where victims are having to physically leave areas where people are contacting them."We find that reprehensible and wrong."Ms Anderson said that following a meeting she and Mr Bell had with victims, two trained counsellors had spoken to some of them and found that they had been "grilled and retraumatised" by the approaches."We can say that this pressure seriously impacted on the health of some victims," she added.Mr Bell said he understood that one Dublin law firm had made 6.2m euros from the Ryan inquiry into abuse in the Irish Republic and that some lawyers in Northern Ireland felt there were millions to be made.Both ministers have said they are following a "victim-centred approach" to dealing with the legacy of the abuse and will not be naming the companies involved in the lobbying.They said that they would continue to provide emergency counselling to those affected by the approaches.