// BBC UK NEWS — CRONACA
Child abuse survivor calls on Law Society chief to quit over reference
Nicola Bannon was one of four women who were abused as schoolchildren by a paedophile teacher
A survivor of child abuse has called on the chief executive of the Law Society of Northern Ireland to resign after he provided a character reference for her abuser.
Nicola Bannon was one of four women who were indecently assaulted by their former schoolteacher William Lloyd-Lavery at a Belfast school in the 1970s.
Lloyd-Lavery's cousin, David Lavery, provided a character reference to a court after the former schoolteacher was convicted earlier this year.
On Tuesday, Lavery was sacked from his role as a human rights commissioner but he remains in post as chief executive of the Law Society of Northern Ireland.
"I do appreciate that he [David Lavery] has apologised for his severe lack of judgement," Nicola said.
"But honestly that questions whether or not he is the right person to be leading an institution of such importance as the Law Society of Northern Ireland."
She told the BBC's Good Morning Ulster programme: "If I was in a similar situation, I would resign."
In a statement, Lavery apologised for a "serious error in judgement on my part in providing a character reference for my cousin and particularly for any hurt and distress that I caused the victims in this case".
"I profoundly regret that and I am committed to doing all I can to address it in the time ahead," he said.