RUC put lives in danger
The lives of women and children in the Beechmount area of West
Belfast were endangered last week when crown forces carried out
two controlled explosions on a suspicious device without first
alerting the residents or clearing the area.
The RUC had visited the house where the device was planted on two
occasions.
The incident happened on Wednesday 3 June at 8.00am. An Phoblacht
spoke to two residents who do not wished to be named.
The first, a single mother with a 21 month old baby, was awoken
when the explosions shook her home in Beechmount Crescent. She
rushed outside to find that the street had not even been cordoned
off by the RUC. One RUC man claimed that they had tried to
evacuate the area at 6am. However, when she phoned Grovesnor RUC
barracks and spoke to a Sergeant Moneypenny she was told that
there had been a shift change at that time and no attempt at
evacuation had taken place. The woman said, ``I was appalled at
their casual attitude and the way they just dismissed my fears.''
She will be making a formal complaint.
other young mother, who is also making a formal complaint, was
awakened from 7.00am and verified that the police had not alerted
anyone. She added that after the operation the RUC laughed and
jeered at her as they left the area.
Gerry Adams has condemned the ``cavalier attitude'' of the RUC
saying, ``clearly residents, many with young families, were deeply
shocked and extremely upset that they had not been informed and
moved to safety. This callous disregard for the safety of people
living in nationalist areas once again demonstrates the
ineffectiveness of the RUC highlighting the need for a
community-based policing service which has the interested of
those it serves at heart.''
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