Democratic Unionist MP Gregory Campbell has today alleged that a secret committee existed amongst Republicans 13 years go to deal with allegations of child abuse made against Republicans.

The dramatic charges were made by the DUP MP under parliamentary privilege this morning during questions to NI Secretary of State Theresa Villiers.

“The voluntary sector had an unfair burden in the past, particularly in dealing with sex abuse victims. Will the Secretary of State comment on information I have received about a fixed committee that existed within the republican movement in 2000, which dealt with almost 100 sex abuse victims and in which some very prominent republicans were involved, and will she join me in calling for those people to come forward and help those many innocent victims deal with the nightmare they are still dealing with 13 years on?” he asked.

Responding the Secretary of State said: “The honorable Gentleman raises some very grave matters, and I would certainly encourage anyone who has been the victim of abuse to approach the police with that information, and anyone who has knowledge of such cases to do so too.

It is obviously crucial that this scourge to society is eliminated and that the voluntary sector, the police and the Government give all the support possible to victims of abuse.”