CAT/C/GBR/CO/6 Assaults on children and child recruitment by paramilitary groups in Northern Ireland 42. The Committee reiterates its concern about reports that paramilitary groups continue to function as alternative authorities in certain areas of Northern Ireland, inflicting punishments resulting in severe pain and suffering against people alleged to have committed criminal offences. The Committee notes with particular concern the delegation’s statement that the Government is aware of eight assaults on children under the age of 18, including two in which children were shot, committed by members of paramilitary groups between February 2017 and February 2019. While taking note of the State party’s efforts to identify and provide support to young people at risk of involvement in paramilitarism, the Committee is also concerned about reports that these groups continue to recruit children (art. 16). 43. The State party should: (a) Strengthen its efforts to promptly and effectively investigate cases of paramilitary violence in Northern Ireland, including against children, ensure that perpetrators are prosecuted and, if convicted, punished with appropriate sanctions, and ensure that victims have access to effective protection and can obtain redress; (b) Intensify its efforts to prevent the recruitment of children by paramilitary groups in Northern Ireland. Investigations into the abuse of children in residential institutions in Northern Ireland 44. The Committee expresses its profound concern about the findings in the Historical Institution Abuse Inquiry report published in January 2017 on the extent of physical and sexual child abuse in children’s homes and other residential institutions run by religious, charitable and state organizations in Northern Ireland between 1922 and 1995. Noting that Northern Ireland has lacked a functioning devolved government since January 2017, the Committee is seriously concerned that the recommendations arising from the inquiry have not been implemented and that, as a result of this inaction, victims of ill-treatment identified by the inquiry have not obtained compensation or other forms of redress. The Committee is further concerned by the fact that while an interdepartmental working group has been established to review historical practices in institutions not covered by the inquiry, namely the Magdalene laundries and mother-and-baby homes, its work is only intended to inform future deliberations about a possible inquiry on these issues and is not expected to lead to the identification of victims of ill-treatment in those institutions or verify whether they are entitled to redress (arts. 2, 14 and 16). 45. The State party should: (a) As a matter of urgency, adopt measures to provide victims of illtreatment in Northern Ireland identified by the Historical Institution Abuse Inquiry with redress, including compensation and the means for as full a rehabilitation as possible; (b) Expedite the process of carrying out an impartial and effective investigation into the practices of the Magdalene laundries and mother-and-baby homes in Northern Ireland that is capable of promptly identifying victims of illtreatment inflicted at those institutions and providing them with redress. Criminalization of termination of pregnancy and related medical care 46. The Committee is concerned that abortion is a criminal offence in Northern Ireland in all cases except where necessary to preserve the life of the pregnant woman or girl or where there is a risk of real and serious long-term or permanent damage to her physical or mental health, and that the offence is punishable by a maximum sentence of life imprisonment. The Committee notes that the law denies women and girls the possibility to terminate a pregnancy in several situations in which continuation of the pregnancy is likely to cause severe physical and mental anguish and distress, namely, in cases of fatal fetal abnormality, rape and incest. The Committee is also concerned about reports that doctors decline to provide services to women even when a pregnancy poses a risk to a woman or 10