North's State-sponsored killers and the law

national | crime and justice | opinion/analysis

Tuesday November 29, 2005 12:41

by Alban McGuinness - SDLP

Justice denied and the public robbed of truth

The killers of 2,100 victims will get away scot-free in a mockey of of the proper truth and justice process.

In February 1997, Presbyterian minister David Templeton was savagely beaten by the UVF. Mr Templeton had previously been caught at Belfast International Airport bringing a gay adult pornographic video into the country.

On the basis of this, the UVF presumed - wrongly - that he was a paedophile. These brave guardians of public morality arrived at his house and beat him senseless with baseball bats into which they had hammered nails. Rev Templeton died six weeks later.

Before he died he identified one of his assailants, a notorious UVF killer who was also an RUC informer. Despite this, the killer was never prosecuted for Rev Templeton's murder. In fact, he is believed to have been involved in at least seven other murders - and let away with each one by RUC Special Branch. The man, who has since been deactivated as an informer, has not served a day in prison for these murders. Nor have his RUC handlers who stood by and let murder after murder happen.

Now, under the Northern Ireland (Offences) Bill they will not ever have to worry about appearing in court, never mind in prison. This legislation applies to anybody who could at any time be charged with any one of the 2,100 unsolved killings of the Troubles.

It applies to every unsolved IRA murder. It applies to every unsolved murder by loyalists - like that of Rev Templeton. This is so even if loyalist paramilitaries continue drug dealing and fail to decommission a single bullet. It even applies to state murders. State agents - paid by the public - are to be let away with murdering members of the public.

Not only has the British government supported this appalling situation, so too has Sinn Féin. Conor Murphy MP flew over to Westminster to welcome the legislation the day after Peter Hain made clear that state-sponsored killers would be protected. And when the SDLP criticised the legislation for letting state-sponsored killers off the hook, Martin McGuinness, on the BBC's Hearts and Minds programme of November 10th, dismissed our concerns and said he did "not envisage that any people who were involved in the murders of nationalists. . .is ever going to be brought before a court in this day and age."

He admitted that state-sponsored killers would be able to get the benefit of the legislation but said that the people who would "gain most advantage from this are those nationalists and republicans who are on the run for over 30 years." Not once in the interview did he say that the legislation should not apply to state-sponsored killers.

So there you have it, on Mr McGuinness's own words. In return for the greater advantage of getting their "on-the-runs" back with no questions asked, Sinn Féin has sold out victims of loyalists and the state.

Let us be clear. This legislation does not just deny families justice, it robs them - and the public - of truth. Because there is no time limit in this legislation, the killers of 2,100 people have no incentive to come forward and tell the truth. They can sit back and wait to see if the police ever come knocking on their doors, secure in the knowledge that if they do, they need not worry - they can apply under this legislation to avoid jail at any time.

So much for British justice. So much for Sinn Féin's "Ireland of equals". So much for truth and reconciliation.

Surely, in the Ireland of 2005, we are entitled to expect better than this. The SDLP is calling on Irish democratic leaders to raise with the British government our profound concerns about this legislation. We are also calling on Sinn Féin to do the right thing and call on Tony Blair to withdraw this Bill and work with parties and victims to devise a proper truth and justice process.

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Comments (7 of 7)

solution

by james

Tue Nov 29, 2005 13:08

This is a peace process, following a war that lasted for 25 years. There were horrific attrocities on every side, from republicians, from loyalists, and from the british army and police and intelligence services. The only way to move forward, and i repeat forward, is to end the war.
Are you not aware that this is the result of a negotiated treaty, and deal, involving republicans unionists and the british and irish governments? and was voted on by all citizens of this country ??

I agree fully with you that the terms are broad and will without doubt include people and murders that have no right to claim political status. However it is essential, it was a dirty immoral war on both sides, and i doubt the british want their security services brought before tribunal after tribunal, and same on republican side. It is a comprimise and a chance to but the past behind and move on to build a Future.

Pardún Iomlán?

by Duine

Tue Nov 29, 2005 13:12

An mbeadh sé oscailte do ghaolta Mhister David Templeton cás príobháideach a chur ar an duine a ainmíodh, fiú amháin ar mhaithe le poiblíochta nó ar mahithe le próiseas caointe an theaghlaigh?

Should not be a political football

by Davy Carlin - Street Seen

Tue Nov 29, 2005 16:02

carlindavid at hotmail dot com

On Sunday 27th November I had attended an opening of a memorial Garden in Ballymurphy, the estate into which I was born, and had lived several years of my life from 1970 onwards.

An estate in the 70’s and 80’s that housed 50 plus of my relatives through that time and houses many still today.

And as my wife and I looked at the 125 or so names on the plaques, I had seen, at a glance, no less that five names of men, women and children who in some way where related to Marie or I, that had been murdered by the state, may it have been by their 'legitimate army’ or by their loyalist playthings whom they directed.

On that matter I had also read at least twelve other family names I had known, while other names again I had seen being shot as a child.

Yet there are many more memorials and many more names of many more who I had known or who where close to us.

-Yet whatever the political debate and differences between the SDLP and the Shinners of who said or did what -‘, something I have not got time to go into presently,

- My belief, is fundamental’, that is, that when a state {and its agencies and associates} murders its own citizens, then everything, everything, needs to be done in the call for truth and justice.

To that end, many will not find any sort of closure until this is the case – indeed as I stood and looked at those names, and the youth of many, I felt a feeling stir within me and later had seen a look in my eyes that I had not seen since a child of seven.

I am to go into this in great depth, Truth and Justice' as I will do in regard to other aspects of the peace process which I believe are essential, this in my Dec input of my Diary which will be online in the short time ahead.

I agree with the SDLP

by Ryan

Tue Nov 29, 2005 20:49

Murder is murder is murder -whether by the paramilitaries or the British government.
For more than 30 years of mindless violence Northern Ireland remains part of the United Kingdom - the Unionist and loyalist populations were and are never going to agree to join a United Ireland at the barrel of a gun - it's that simple.
Personally as a Southerner I couldn't care less whether this island is united and certainly don't want it to be brought about by violating the democratic will of the majority of Unionists and loyalists.
But there never can never be peace on this island until there is peace and reconciliation -not a phoney armed peace with paramilitary gangs running criminal rackets using front political parties and not a phoney reconciliation with prisoners released and murderers getting away scot free.
If that is peace and reconciliation then the Irish and British governments are selling out the people of Ireland north and south to tyranny.

Political oppurtunism at its very best

by The Pen

Mon Dec 05, 2005 12:27

Where has the SDLP voice against state sponsored killings been in recent years? People who stated that state murder was policy of the British were labeled conspirators by the SDLP. So I think the fact that Alban and the SDLP are trying to jump on the bandwagon is a sad reflection of the sorry state of the party.

my view

by my view

Mon Dec 05, 2005 13:06

Murder was a crime last time I checked! How can you possibly brush 2,100 unsolved murders under the mat? SF, shame on you! You promise peace and equality, and you deliver us this, a total joke! you just want to take your upstanding and well trained soldiers of an ILLEGAL army back home, to civilsed people. Pathetic! The murderous wretches of both sides deserve nothing and definitely do not deserve amnesty from murder.
"Murder is murder is murder"
I never liked Thatcher but at least she knew what a crime was, unlike big Gerry from Belfast!

My View

by Realist

Tue Dec 06, 2005 12:13

Will 'my view take a look ast himself/herself, he/ she obviously dosent follow politics too closely. His statement seems to be a propaganda staement from the front page of the british daily mail.

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North's State-sponsored killers and the law

Comments (7 of 7)