RUC beat teenager
Mid-Tyrone councillor Terence Brogan has accused the RUC of
attacking a 19-year-old Carrickmore hurler. The young man was out
with friends celebrating Carrickmore's win over Dungannon in the
county championship quarter final, when he was set upon by three
RUC men, on the Creggan Road just outside Carrickmore on Friday
17 July. Councillor Brogan said: ``An RUC member who regularly
liaises with Special Branch and who poses as a `community friend'
in Mid Tyrone, struck the young Carrickmore man at least six
times with his baton, causing the victim serious bruising to his
arms and upper body.'' Brogan described this as a totally cowardly
and unprovoked assault.
In another incident recently the RUC attempted to recruit a
23-year-old Loughmacrory man as an informer. The man, who did not
wish to be named, said that an RUC member phoned him and offered
him immunity from prosecution on a number of driving related
charges in exchange for information on local republicans.
Commenting on the recruitment attempt Councillor Terence Brogan
said that ``the debate around new policing arrangements needs to
look beyond the RUC, it should to focus on the need to replace
the RUC which is entirely discredited and which has actively
stepped up their campaign of harassment against young
nationalists in several parts of Tyrone in the past month alone.''
He also criticised the ``willingness of local media to present the
RUC in an unquestioningly positive light while our young people
have their rights abused week in, week out, away from the
spotlight of the cameras.''
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