Victims’ anger as inquest plan is spiked by Stormont

Posted by Jim on May 9, 2016

Amnesty International has accused the Stormont Executive of denying
justice by blocking funds for a series of inquests into conflict-related
killings.

DUP leader and First Minister Arlene Foster confirmed she had vetoed
funds for a backlog of inquests connected to the conflict, while Sinn
Fein’s Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness declined to say if he had
been aware of Foster’s action.

Patrick Corrigan, Amnesty’s director in the Six Counties, said: “Justice
delayed is justice denied.”

The inquests are connected to direct state killings such as the
Ballymurphy massacre of 1971, when British soldiers shot dead 11
civilians, the ambush of eight IRA men at Loughgall, but also many acts
of state collusion, such as the loyalist murder of GAA official Sean
Brown in County Derry

The North’s Chief Justice, Declan Morgan, signed off a request for
funding for the inquests, which cover about 80 deaths, but this request
was blocked due to DUP opposition on the Stormont executive.

Mr Corrigan criticised that decision. “Here we have scores of families
who have been denied even inquests for decades now into the deaths of
their loved ones,” he said.

“They deserve those inquests, have a right to them, and such rights
shouldn’t become bargaining chips in some kind of political game and
that seems to be what’s going on,” he added.

The issue arose in a television debate before Thursday’s assembly
elections after it became public earlier in the week.

Foster said she was surprised that the business of the Stormont
executive was being discussed in the news, but defended the decision to
block the cash for the inquests.

“There has been an imbalance in relation to state killings as opposed to
paramilitary killings,” the first minister said.

DUP Deputy leader Nigel Dodds later said the inquests would cost too
much.

“This proposal would have cost more than anticipated and would have
seriously impacted on the ability of the Executive to address the needs
of innocent victims,” he said.

FAMILIES HIT OUT

Briege Voyle, whose mother was shot by British soldiers in Ballymurphy
in August 1971, said it was “another slap in the face to victims’
families”.

“This is a disgrace. Arlene Foster is effectively preventing the truth
about 95 deaths,” she said.

“Is she now saying she doesn’t want the truth coming out about what
happened to two police officers and innocent civilians from both
unionist and nationalist communities murdered by paramilitaries?”

Sinn Fein’s Gerry Kelly said the British government has a responsibility
to fund legacy inquests.

“It needs to face up to its responsibilities and provide adequate
funding for legacy inquests and investigations so families can have
access to truth,” he said.

Among those who welcomed the announcement of the inquests at the time
was the daughter of Joseph Corr, who died in the Ballymurphy Massacre.

“The Lord Chief Justice really gave the families in the room that day
hope, and there wasn’t just the Ballymurphy families, there were loads
of victims,” said Eileen McKeown. “We really felt on a high that this
man, the Lord Chief Justice, was on our side.”

She said the news was very disappointing for the families of victims.

“People have to put themselves in our situation,” she said. “We get one
step forward and then ten steps back.

“When we saw the Hillsborough families last week on the news, as before
when we saw the Bloody Sunday families, every time we see that happening
we think our inquest is going to be next. Then the British government
steps in, and the executive, and knock it all for six.”

Joseph Corr’s son was with him on the day he was killed. He is now
seriously ill in hospital and the family fears this delay means he will
not see the outcome of the inquest.

“We don’t think he has much longer to live,” said Michael Corr. “I
always promised him that before he died, the Ballymurphy case would be
closed. Now I feel as if I am letting him down.”