A statutory inquiry is to be held into the alleged sexual abuse of a boarding pupil at Cabin Hill Preparatory School in 1992.

Education Minister, Barry Gardiner announced the inquiry today saying he would examine "the outcome of the inquiry very carefully with a view to considering whether any additional guidance about child protection arrangements needs to be issued to schools, particularly those with boarding departments".

"I take very seriously all issues relating to the safety and welfare of children at school and the comprehensive guidance on child protection matters, which my Department issues to schools, is kept under continuous review," the Minister said.

The Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission welcomed today's news.

The Commission said it had been calling for an inquiry into the allegations since May 2003 but the Department’s position at that time was that it would not make a decision on the holding of an inquiry while police investigations were continuing.

Chief Commissioner, Brice Dickson, said: “We welcome at last the decision of the Department of Education to proceed with a statutory inquiry into these allegations.

"We hope that an inquiry will produce lessons not just for this school but also for other schools in Northern Ireland."

The events were alleged to have taken place at Cabin Hill, the preparatory department of Campbell College, in 1992/93, but did not come to light until May 1999.

The perpetrator of the alleged abuse, who was 13 at the time, was subsequently arrested and formally cautioned by the police on April, 22 2002 for two offences of indecent assault as well as being placed on the Sex Offenders Register.

(MB)