Child's ordeal at hands of Paras and RUC
By Mick Naughton.
The appearance in a Belfast courtroom of a ten year old boy from
Ardoyne in North Belfast on Monday 20 October highlighted the
level of sectarianism endured by even the youngest members of the
nationalist community.
The judge was forced to dismiss the case, questioning why a ten
year old was even there in the first place. He levelled strong
criticism against the RUC for pursuing what was clearly a serious
example of base sectarianism against a minor.
Ten year old Francis Booth's ordeal began with his arrest last
spring by the RUC who described him as ``a main rioter in the
Ardoyne area''.
Francis had been rifle-butted across the head by a British
soldier from the 3rd Battalion Parachute Regiment and thrown into
an armoured personnel carrier in Flax Street.
He was then held illegally for over an hour, being driven around
the area before being thrown out. Following the incident
Francis's parents registered a complaint against the crown
forces.
``A classic tactic by the RUC of issuing counter charges against
anyone pursuing a complaint against them,'' was how local Sinn
Fein councillor Mick Conlon described the whole disturbing saga.
``The crown forces should catch themselves on. It's utter nonsense
to describe a ten year old schoolboy as `a main rioter'. The
Paras and RUC must be withdrawn immediately if the people on the
ground are to have any faith in a future settlement,'' he said.
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