Paramilitaries exploiting young people 25 years on from Good Friday Agreement

Concerns have been raised in recent times about paramilitary groups coercing young people into rioting in order to settle drug debts

Coercion of young people by paramilitaries has been branded child abuse as Northern Ireland approaches the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement (Paul Faith/PA)

Promises made when the Good Friday Agreement was signed must be kept in the face of the child abuse being committed by paramilitaries who are exploiting young people more than two decades on, experts have warned.

Some of the worst-affected communities are enduring residual violence and the trauma of the Troubles is still being experienced even by those who did not live through it, two academics said as Northern Ireland prepares to mark the 25th anniversary of the peace accord.