UK News 01-10-1999 The plight of Ulster children who: Brice Dickson of of Northern Ireland`s new Human Rights Commission what: Pledged to "crackdown on punishment beatings of children by IRA" where: BIRKENHEAD when: Yesterday snippet: The Times leads with a follow-up to its story on "the plight of Ulster children". Brice Dickson, appointed under the 1998 Good Friday agreement as head of Northern Ireland`s new Human Rights Commission, has pledged to "crackdown on punishment beatings of children by IRA and loyalist gangs". 189 young people under the age of 18 have ben hospitalised as a result of paramilitary beatings since the signing of the peace deal and as many as 4,000 more have been the victims of violence. "Very few, if any of the perpetrators of such paramilitary violence ended up in court because it is too difficult to identify them," said Dickson. However, he complained that government funding for the project of £750,000 per year was inadequate. "If the Government want us to be effective, and not just a fig leaf, we are going to have to be properly funded." [... more]

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